Kesar Pista Malai Kulfi

Author Rekha Gupta

An Indian frozen milk delicacy that is centuries old which was then traditionally set in earthenware pots without a freezer. Kulfi is dense and creamier than ice cream, easy to make and holds its place of pride amongst an exotic variety of desserts when displayed at weddings too, as its a must have for kids and adults alike. C@RG

As mentioned earlier my cooking journey began for all the right reasons and much before the world of smart phones /you tubes , so often I experimented by just following my instincts/combined with a little common sense and experience to try something new which was not cooked at home. So whenever we ate kulfi outside , everyone complained of a powdery residue as an aftertaste in the mouth making everyone say,’ is it flour that has been used to thicken milk?’ This made me think/wonder/ & finally try it, & only with two ingredients Milk and Sugar, keep it pure , keep it simple and the outcome ‘yeh dil mangay more’……

I use unrefined sugar for its medicinal properties , be it Khand , Karara( raw cane sugar) or Dhaga Mishri (Rock Sugar) as it is raw and all the nutrients are intact, which are lost in the refining process , and Cows Milk for it is lighter and easy to digest, besides many other health benefits, ( You can always use regular sugar and buffalo milk as it tastes equally good ) C@Rg

U S P – My dishes have to be healthy and tasty both hence no short cuts .

Ingredients–

Cows Milk- 2.5 liters , Rock sugar / Karara- 1.5 cup/350 gms. or to taste ,kesar( saffron)- 15 strands soak in hot milk for one hour, pista- 40 , elaichi powder 1/2 tsp.

Servings-10 to 12 kulfi

STEPS

In a big heavy base steel pan heat the milk , when the milk boils, put the flame on medium and let it simmer for about 90 minutes, stirring it every five minutes till its reduced to half its quantity .

Now keeping the flame on full , stirring every two minutes let the milk reduce to 1/3rd of its quantity. (Please note constant stirring is super imp else, milk will burn at the bottom of the vessel)

Now Add karara /rock sugar and again stirring constantly, (as when anything is added to milk,i t needs to be stirred constantly or else it may curdle) till it reaches a boil again. It’s consistency becomes thinner on adding sugar ,so has to be cooked for another 10 minutes till the consistency is rich and semi thick, (As it gets thicker when cooled, make sure to not go over thick while cooking. )You need to take it out at the right consistency.

Now add elaichi powder, soaked kesar / saffron and chopped pista and leave it to cool to room temperature. C@Rg

Fill it in kulfi moulds (conical shaped aluminium moulds) and keep them in the Freezer to set. It will take 8 to 10 hours to set .

Serve garnished with pistas and Falooda .Oh its irresistible! (please leave a comment if you need falooda recipe)

I follow a ritual of first offering ‘bhog’ to Bhagwanji before every meal.🙏Happy eating. Happy Summers folks !!!!

Author Rekha Gupta