Pistachio Kulfi

Summers are wonderful for the ‘cool’ stuff they offer. By cool, I really mean chilly, frosty and icy.

Tis’ the perfect weather to sit indoors, in front of the TV with a tubful of ice-cream or maybe read a book; Simple indulgences that we deprive ourselves of in the rut of daily life. Gone are those days of summer vacations or days off, when one would just relax for a few days, without an agenda. This is a true luxury that most often I can’t or rather do not grant myself- yes, I am one of those people who is almost slightly, unfortunately stuck in ‘the busy trap’. (Must read this article here ).

p.s. Note to myself about the New Year resolution.

Coming back to ice-cream, since the family is visiting, and there is a lot of eating out and stashing of goodies at home, I decided to try out my mum’s tried and tested recipe for kesar pista kulfi (traditional Indian ice-cream with saffron and pistachios). I am an ardent kulfi fan and this recipe has been playing on my mind forever. Having loads of pistachios at home in our dry fruit reserve, this seemed to be a good use for the same. Traditional Kulfi is a dessert from the Indian region and is almost like ice-cream, except that it is richer and creamier. Its original form is with pistachios and saffron, and has more contemporary variations with fruits such as apples and strawberries. Being a frozen dessert, it can be made using a regular ice-cream maker, or the conventional technique of freezing, thawing, blending and re-freezing to avoid any crystallization. I prefer this particular recipe, because it is absolutely pure- made of milk, and does not have any gelatin or condensed milk as thickening agents. This recipe uses the traditional technique of slow cooking milk to make it thicker; infact the recipe is quite similar to the rice pudding or kheer recipe found here.

The recipe was a success; and it was one of those rare days when I knew it would be J. Most often, I am wondering how the results would turn out, but with this recipe and the memories of mom making it every summer, I could taste it even when it was cooking, knowing that this one would not fail. The time-honored kulfi is the perfect dessert for a busy, hot summer day; one should surely have a stock, hoarded away in the fridge.

For the Recipe, (12 mini servings)

• 1 Litre Milk (Full Cream)
• 1 Large Serving Spoon of Sugar
• 2 Slices of White Bread
• ½ Cup Pistachios, chopped (I use ½ cup for strong flavours and crunchiness- could reduce quantity as per taste)
• Some Saffron strands
• Green Cardamom Powder (made out of 6-8 pieces)

Boil the milk on medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring continuously. Add the sugar. Keep cooking on medium heat. Add the bread without corners and keep stirring on low heat till the mixture reduces to half. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the saffron, cardamom and pistachios. Let it cool and come down to room temperature. Put it in a tray and freeze for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from freezer, mix it in a blender and then freeze again. Serve.