Kulfi is found on the menu of most Indian restaurants. It’s a hugely popular dessert that originated in the Indian sub-continent as long ago as the sixteenth century. I remember it being made regularly at celebratory events when I was a child, both here and on family holidays in India. Rather like the ubiquitous ice cream van here in the UK, India’s street markets always have kulfi stalls selling every flavour. In fact, there really are endless options, but saffron is usually always used.
Kulfi is commonly known as Indian ice cream, but it differs in texture to regular ice cream, as it’s not whipped, and is therefore more dense. You only need a small amount, but it’s a fabulous choice when you want to serve a small, appropriate dessert after an Indian meal. It somehow does the job of cleansing the palate of the spices, whilst tasting exquisitely decadent even in small quantities.
Kulfi is traditionally made in individual cone shaped aluminum moulds with lids, but I tend to make it in stainless steel round tins because they look pretty and are a bit more practical.
Ingredients to make several servings:
210ml whole organic milk
170ml single cream
170ml evaporated milk
5 tbsp fine caster sugar
1/4 tsp saffron strands infused in a little hot milk
1 tsp coarsely crushed cardamom seeds
10 whole skinless almonds, toasted and coarsely ground
Method:
Boil the milk slowly until it has reduced to 170ml. Cool it to room temperature. Now add the cream and evaporated milk and mix the three together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is well incorporated. Pour the mixture into your lidded container/s and place them flat in the freezer.
When you want to serve the kulfi, take it out at least 10 minutes before eating, as it takes longer to soften than regular ice cream.