Blessy's Kitchen: Malai Kulfi/ Indian Ice cream/ Desi Ice cream/ Milk Ice cream

Japan has Mochi, Italy has Gelato, Saudi has Booza and India?? Yeah, we have the winsome Kulfi!!! The dense frozen dessert sold on the streets here, sometimes on a stick or in earthenware pots and how could one forget relishing them in hot summers? Ahh! It made my summers enliven!! So, I decided to make Malai Kulfi, the traditional way. This includes the slow process of condensing the whole milk until the desired consistency, followed by the addition of nuts and flavourings and freezing until set. It has a distinctive taste due to the caramelization of lactose and sugar during the cooking process.

Kulfis can be made in various flavours too. One could add extra few tablespoons of malai(cream) to the kulfi, also mawa/kova can be added for richness.

To make this recipe, you'll need :

Whole milk (Full cream/full fat)	1 Litre
Sugar	½ cup (or) to taste
Choice of chopped nuts	2 tablespoons
Green cardamom powder	½ teaspoon

Method :

1. Bring the full cream milk to a boil.

2. Once it reaches boiling point, reduce the flame to medium and cook slowly until it gets reduced to half of its volume. (keep stirring to not burn at the bottom, also scrape the sides of the vessel and mix the malai in the milk)

3. Now, add the sugar to the reduced milk and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the nuts and the cardamom powder, switch off the flame and set it aside to cool completely.

5. Now, pour the kulfi mixture into desired moulds, cover them and freeze until set.

6. Insert your choice of kulfi stick before serving or cut the kulfi and serve.

Pictorial

Bring the milk to a boil. Once it reaches boiling point, reduce the flame to medium and cook slowly.

Keep stirring to not burn at the bottom. Also scrape the sides of the vessel and mix it in the milk for the even distribution of malai (cream). Cook until the milk gets reduced to half of its volume.