Here I am, back after a long break. It has been crazy busy moving houses and cities. But I am loving it being back to Mumbai meri jaan ❤

Kulfi- my earliest memory of it is the ‘tann tann’ of the Kulfi walla’s bell as he pushed his cart. We rushed down grasping our coins tight in our little palms, my younger brother and me. We watched wide eyed, as the Kulfi Bhaiya took out the moulds, dipped them in water, dipped the kulfi in some extra thick malai and held it out with a smile. Happily we ran with our kulfi sticks dripping  till the next time, when we would be able to convince Mom that’s it’s not too early after the last treat. I must have been eight or nine back then but good memories tend to stay with you.

Another memory is our weekly visits to the Pink City Ice Cream Centre in Jaipur for our weekly fix of Kewra Kulfi.Yum!

I tried many recipes, the lengthy procedures and the short cuts till I reached this one  I use it  to make simple malai kulfi or kesar pista kulfi or any fruit flavoured one like mango kulfi. It basically comprises of slow cooking and thickening of full cream cow milk in a heavy bottomed pan, adding a thickening agent, adding some semi powdered nuts, khoya, sugar and flavourings and you are done!

I loved the idea of adding rice flour rather than corn flour that I saw on Dasaana’s blog here. It gives a better flavour to the kulfi. But use corn flour by all means if you do not have rice flour at hand. I personally have to add khoya to make the kulfi authentic, and often use and instant version of it. In a pinch, condensed milk may be used, but then the flavour does change. Also remember to put less sugar if using condensed milk.

Here is how I make it. This is my ode to the Kewra Kulfi we all loved.

This recipes makes 8-10 medium sized kulfis
1 litre of full cream cow milk
1 Tbsp rice flour/corn flour  mixed in ¼ cup milk
½ cup of coarse ground nuts (cashews and almonds work best. Use pistachios if making Kesar Pista kulfi)
8-10 strands of saffron rubbed with a few drops of water ( Use more if making Kesar Pista Kulfi- say 1 tsp)
¼ cup Khoya/mawa (Make instant khoya by microwaving 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 Tbsp milk powder in one minute bursts till it comes together)
¼ cup  sugar ( can adjust as per taste)
A few drops of kewra essence ( can use rose/almond)
1 tsp cardamom powder

I like to use cow milk as it gives the stringy ‘laccha’ texture to the kulfi. Buffalo milk may be used. The milk used for kulfi has to be whole /full cream milk.

Bring the milk to boil in a heavy bottomed pan and lower the heat and cook till it is reduced to half. Keep stirring every few minutes to make sure the milk doesn’t scald and stick to the bottom of the vessel. If this happens, throw the milk and start again.

Mix the the rice flour/corn flour in ¼ cup of milk and add to the boiling milk and keep stirring.

Do NOT leave unattended at this stage. It sticks quickly. Cook for 5-6 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.

Add the sugar  and khoya/mawa and stir till the sugar melts and the khoya is incorporated well, say for about  8-10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the cardamom powder.

Let cool to room temperature and then add the saffron, kewra essense and crushed nuts.

TO MAKE MANGO KULFI

Add fruit puree if making flavoured kulfi.  I added a cup of mango puree to make mango Kulfi. Mix well.

And ONLY pistachios and more kesar to make Kesar Pista Kulfi.

Mix well and pour into moulds and let set for 5-6 hours.  (That’s the husband doing the pouring task as I click 😀 ) Save half a cup of the malai kulfi mixture to dip the kulfi into, if you like.

To serve, remove from the freezer, dip the mould into some warm water, dip the kulfi in the malai and serve immediately. You may use more nuts and rose petals to garnish if serving in a dish rather than on a stick.
Enjoy and remember the good old days…..