Malai Kulfi is a delicious ice cream that everyone relishes during the Summer season. Kulfi has similarities to ice cream in appearance and taste; however it is denser and creamier.It comes in various flavors. The more traditional ones are cream (malai), rose, mango, cardamom (elaichi), saffron (kesar or zafran), and pistachio. There are newer variations such as apple, orange, strawberry, peanut, and avocado. Unlike ice cream, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar to traditional custard-based ice cream.
Kulfi is traditionally prepared by evaporating sweetened and flavored milk via slow cooking, with almost continuous stirring to keep milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel where it might burn, until its volume is reduced by a half, thus thickening it. More recently Kulfi is prepared from evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy (double) cream. Then sugar is added and the mixture is further boiled and cornstarch-water paste is added. This paste thickens the mixture, although it is boiled for an additional few minutes. Then flavorings, dried fruits, cardamom, etc. are added. The mixture is then cooled, put in moulds and frozen.
I have used unsweetened Khoya (Mawa) to the milk to enrich its flavor. We can also use milk powder or condensed milk instead of khoya. The milk boiling in low flame till ⅔rd of its quantity is evaporated is the key to this rich Kulfi. The boiling process is time consuming but not complicated so if we have patience to wait till the milk thickens then we will be thrilled to taste these yummy Malai Kulfi.
Video Making of Malai Kulfi
[arve url="https://youtu.be/L8DvoFmdH1Y" thumbnail="14785" title="Malai Kulfi | How to make Malai Kulfi" description="Malai Kulfi | How to make Malai Kulfi" upload_date="2018-05-07" duration="1M33S" /]
Notes:
- We can alternate khoya with milk powder.
- Always use thick whole milk for this recipe
Malai Kulfi | How to make Malai Kulfi
Ingredients
- 1 litre Milk / 4 Cups
- 0.5 cup Unsweetened Khoya / Mawa Grated
- 0.5 cup Sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 1 tablespoon Almond Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Pistachio Chopped
Instructions
Boiling Milk
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add milk and bring it to boil. Keep the flame low and keep stirring the milk in regular intervals till the milk gets thick and becomes ⅓rd of its quantity. ⅔ of the milk should get evaporated and become thick milk with milk solids
Adding Mawa & Sugar
- When the milk becomes ⅓rd of its quantity, then add grated mawa and stir well so that here are no lumps. If you don't have mawa, we can add ½ cup of milk powder instead. Once the mawa is incorporated nicely, add sugar and stir well till it gets dissolved completely
Garnish with nuts
- Finally add chopped almonds, pistachios and cardamom powder and keep in flame for another 2 mins and then switch off the flame. Let this kulfi mixture gets cooled off completely. Once cooled, pour the mixture in kulfi moulds or popsicle moulds and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight
Serving Time
- Once the kulfi is fully set, before 10 mins before serving and place the moulds in warm water for sometime and then take out gently and enjoy the chill and yummy Malai Kulfi.