Rose Almond Kulfi
Kulfi is nothing but Ice Cream Desi style. The being, the love poured into the Kulfi while it is made. No eggs, of course...
The Kulfi maker is totally slaving over the dish which has the milk boiling away to thicken and make the creamiest and delicious Kulfi. It is imperative that you know...sweat and blood are mixed in this “double double toil and trouble, cauldron bubble “quite literally...
So it is better for your queasy senses that you try out this Kulfi at home. Minus some one’s sweat and blood...because the cauldron will be bubbling for a long, long time.
No pictures here, except those of the final product...only because we were attempting to recreate my mum’s recipe in a large ...as in huge quantity. This was to cater for almost 6 dozen people and in all the rush and confusions, photographs were the last thing on my mind.
The Kulfi turned out super fantastic and different. Perfect for this weather and as a perfect antidote for a heavy lunch.
What cools you better than roses???The aroma and the actual petals...
FYI roses are really great for digestion and for cooling your system...that is why they make “gulukand” (which is something like a preserve made from rose petals.)
I added dried rose petals to the Kulfi, just as an experiment...got the idea from Mr Jiggs Kalra himself(he resides on my bedside table...in one of the tomes...Prasad Cooking with the Indian masters.) yes, currently on my bedside table is this book and an old tottering , torn tome by Jeffery Archer.
No wonder my dreams are never restful...Technicolor and full of smells.
I catered for 75 servings, but am toning the recipe to cater to 15 servings.
For the
Rose almond Kulfi...
You need
3 litres whole milk (full cream)
1 tin /400 mils condensed milk (milkmaid is synonymous)
200 Gms- or less sugar
10-15 green cardamom
20 Gms or a fistful of dried rose petals
50 Gms almonds
1 tsp corn flour (optional)
1 tsp rose essence/ 2tsp rose water
½ tsp Kewra water
Its best to make this Kulfi when you are in a benevolent mood...remember patience and a lot of love are needed to make something like this. Any dithering and you can burn the milk...which will make it totally unpalatable.
Possession of a slow cooker will be a blessing at this stage...even an induction cooker is great. If not, the humble LPG will have to do.
Avoid any wooden/silicone spatulas here...they transfer flavours of the past dishes they have encountered. Stick to stainless steel ladles.
Put the milk in a heavy bottom pan on the heat. Once it comes to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer stirring frequently till it reduces to approximately half.
If the best way is the same way as we make rabri...for more instructions, check it out here.
Once three litres has reduced to anywhere between 1.5 to 1.7 litres, coarsely crush the almonds and put into the boiling milk.
The consistency of the milk should be like cream by now.
Grind half the sugar and the green cardamom to a fine powder and sieve the powder to get rid of the fibrous part of the cardamom. You now have the seeds powdered without the headache of peeling the pods.
Stir the sugar, cardamom mix into the milk and taste. Add some of the remaining sugar. Keep the sugar a little light; you are going to add the sweetened condensed milk too.
If you are going to add the corn flour, mix it in a tsp of cold milk and pour it into the Kulfi, stirring till it boils. You can omit the corn flour, if this is for a fast.
Turn the flame off now and add the rose essence or rose water.
Cover the Kulfi and let it cool.
One it is cool, taste for sugar, and pour in only as much milkmaid as needed. You may add the whole tin...but only if you think it is needed.
Bring out your hand blender and blend the Kulfi, the errant bits of malai/ thickened creamy milk will dissolve and the crushed almonds will make it even creamier.
Just a few churns will do it...
At this stage if you wish to, add more slivered almonds.
Wash the rose petals and put these in. Stir well, adding the Kewra water.
Kewra water counters the sweetness of the rose petals and lends a very royal touch to the Kulfi.
Unmoulded and sliced...
And cut up..
The main difference between an ice-cream and a Kulfi is the air. Ice-cream has air in corporate into it and Kulfi does not.
Serve this Kulfi with a few rose petals or with faluda...
Thin noodles made of corn flour...
That we leave for another post.
You wont believe the aroma that was wafting from the kulfi and the rose petals....
Try it!
Enjoy the taste of the Kulfi...it will take you back to the olden times...
So what are you baking today???
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