🍨 Kulfi
Kulfi is a dense frozen dessert from the Indian subcontinent made by slowly simmering milk until it reduces and thickens, then sweetening it and flavouring it with cardamom, saffron and pistachios. Because it is not churned, it freezes firm and creamy rather than airy, and melts slowly. It is traditionally set in conical moulds and served on a stick or sliced.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres full-fat milk
- 90 g sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- A pinch of saffron
- 30 g pistachios, chopped
Method
- Bring the milk to the boil in a wide, heavy pan and simmer, stirring often and scraping the sides, until reduced to about a third (60–90 minutes).
- Stir in the sugar, cardamom and saffron and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Cool, then stir in most of the pistachios.
- Pour into moulds or small cups, cover and freeze for at least 6 hours.
- Unmould by dipping briefly in warm water and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios.
How to make it lighter
- Make small 60–70 g moulds — kulfi is rich, and a small one satisfies.
- Reduce the sugar by a third; cardamom and saffron keep the flavour full.
- Use the pistachios only as a topping to keep the fat lower.
History
Kulfi is usually traced back to the Mughal era in northern India, when frozen milk desserts were made using ice brought from the mountains. Today it is sold by street vendors and sweet shops across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →