I seem to have desserts ready for almost all the occasions.. I love love love sugary sweets! When the cravings hit me, it is impossible to shut my brain and there is no turning back till those cravings are satisfied. You must think I’m talking like a crazy or an addict! You’re thinking right! Not that I need a therapy or something… Just saying! It’s 1 a.m. here as I type this post, got a coffee craving which I tried to control and instead ended up snacking on a coffee-almond ice-cream! I know… weak! 🙁 But don’t judge! In my defense, this is the only sweet stuff I have had in a whole day!
You all know I have a sweet corner for ice-creams. So much that not so long ago I even had an ice-cream week on the blog! Check
this out! Crazy right?! So it would be impossible that I would let the Independence day be gone without posting a total Desi ice-cream dessert in the honor of the occasion.
Kulfi is so popular throughout the country. Love of it is unbiased. It is a perfect reflection of our country’s unity despite the cultural diversity! Oh well, I have a way of twisting everything as per my own convenience! I mean only I can talk about kulfi and country being mirror-image of each other or whatever! But I hope you all agree with me on this one.. What better way to celebrate 15th August, our 66th independence day than this ice-cream dessert! I bet it’s a family favorite in every household! 🙂
Kulfi is traditionally prepared by evaporating milk on a low heat with almost continuous stirring to keep milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel, until its volume was reduced by half, thus thickening it. It is almost like eggless custard turned in to ice-cream. I’ve stuck to the traditional recipe and have refrained from using condensed milk as I somehow detest it! Okay, I sort of hate condensed milk! I guess it’s a night for confessions! Relieved! Humph..
Of course no cliched tricolor desserts people! Hence the recipe for kulfi is has been kept as close to natural as possible. No artificial flavorings or colors have been used. You get a subtle yellow from saffron, crunch from pistachio and aroma from cardamom. It is heavenly! Do try it now and thank me later! 😉
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
P.S. No saffron was harmed during the shoot of these photos. It was all returned back to the safety of its jar. So you all can relax now! 😀
Saffron Pistachio Kulfi
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cup full-fat milk
- 1/4 cup full-fat milk, extra
- 2 Tbsp cornflour
- 4 pods of cardamom
- 1/4 tsp strands of saffron
- 1/3 cup sugar (adjust as per preference)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped salted pistachios, plus extra for garnishing
- 1/2 cup fresh cream (40% fat)
Directions:
- In a non-stick/ceramic heavy-bottomed saucepan, add 1 and 1/2 cup milk and bring it to boil on a high heat. Now reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the vessel.
- Warm 1/4 cup of milk in microwave for 10-20 seconds. Add cornflour to it and mix till it dissolves completely. Add saffron strands to it. Separate the cardamom seeds from the pod and powder the seeds with mortar-pestle. Add the powder and pods to the milk. Let this mixture sit aside till the milk is getting reduced.
- Once milk has evaporated and thickened till its volume has reduced to half (in about 10-15 minutes), add the flavored milk-cornflour mixture (remove the cardamom pods) slowly to the milk stirring continuously. Add sugar and pistachio and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar as per your preference.
- Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool and come to room temperature. Whip the fresh cream till soft peaks are formed. Whisk in the whipped cream to the cooled milk mixture. Pour the mixture in the molds. Refrigerate in the freezer. After about 1 hour of freezing, insert kulfi stick in each mold and freeze for another 4-5 hours. De-mold and serve immediately topped with chopped pistachios (optional).
Notes:
*You can make these without adding cornflour too. It will still taste the same but may melt at a faster rate.
*I did not have kulfi molds hence I used paper cups covered with silver foil. To de-mold, simply cut the paper cup from one side and loosen the kulfi.
*In case you’re using plastic/metal kulfi molds, dip each mold in hot water for 2-3 seconds and then de-mold the kulfi easily.
*Kulfis are best consumed within 2 days of being made. They won’t get spoiled in freezer but will become icy and rock-like if kept for longer duration.
