This Very Desi Malai Kulfi Is All That The Heart Desires
It may not be the perfect weather to crave an ice-cream, but a craving for the desi kulfi is a different matter altogether! And it’s even better when it is from Shiela Mehra’s kitchen!
This Whip-it-up-Wednesday, check out this ghar ki yaad dilane waali (bringing back memories of home) quick and easy Malai Kulfi (Eggless Indian Ice Cream) from the kitchen of The Girl That Made It All and dance with joy!
“The other day I had some friends come over for dinner. My friend told me she was going to bring over falooda. I love falooda but I love it even more with kulfi. I thought why not make some kulfi to go with her falooda. For anyone that doesn’t know, falooda is vermicelli noodles that are soaked in a sweet cream base. It can be served with kulfi ice cream.”
“Traditional kulfi is eggless and is made with whole fat milk that is reduced over a slow flame with sugar. Nuts and saffron are added to enhance the flavor. Pistachio or mango are common varieties of kulfi. The high sugar content is what makes the kulfi soft without having to create a custard or slow churn the ice cream base.”
“Since my friend was coming over in the evening, I didn’t have time to make a traditional kulfi. Sometimes kulfi is made with condensed milk and cornstarch to reduce the time it takes to slow cook the milk. I ended up making mine with almond flour instead of cornstarch. Almond flour served as my thickener and gave it the nutty flavor that it needs. No cooking required! I froze it in popsicle molds. The result was amazing in flavor and it was quick and easy.”
“Here is how I made it:”
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup blanched almond flour/almond meal (can be purchased at http://amzn.to/2tXSjRP or at a grocery store)
- 1 can (14oz) condensed milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk (you can substitute lower fat but it won’t be as creamy or use 1 cup half and half)
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- A couple strands of saffron
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add milk to a medium-size bowl.
- Rub saffron in your hands until it is powder like and add to whole milk.
- Now add rest of the ingredients and stir until all ingredients are blended.
- Pour into popsicle molds or kulfi molds.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours until set.
- Garnish with toasted nuts if desired.
NOTES
Almond flour can be made at home. Boil 1 cup almonds in water for a couple of minutes or soak in water overnight. Rub skins off of almonds. Wait until almonds are completely dry. Run in a blender, food processor, Vitamix or coffee bean grinder for 30-second intervals until it is a fine powder. Do not over mix or it will turn into almond butter. I always prefer to just buy it from a grocery store because I can never get the fine consistency as store-bought almond flour.
Tell us how you liked this one!
