Pakistan, India – Kulfi ( Traditional Ice Cream )

by Dahiza Umar

INTRODUCTION

Kulfi is a word derived from Persian language that means ” COVERED CUP”. It is called so because it is when cooked and set in the specific molds / kulfi cup they have to sealed from the top so that the proper shape is maintained when frozen.

Kulfi is a traditional ice cream or also called as frozen dessert that is popular in the Asian countries like those originated form Pakistan, India and bangladesh. It is similar to the ice cream now a days but the difference is it is more denser, creamier and delectable than the ice creams these days. Traditional kulfi recipe is to cooking the milk on slow heat until thicken than adding the sugar, cream or flavors of the choice like cardamom, rose etc and set it in the elongates steel mold to get that shape when frozen.

Kulfi is the delight and need to calm down and lighter the mood of summer. The favorite thing about the summer is when hawkers came up the street with having the freezer full of kulfi is enjoyable by kids or also the young ones. By making this recipe in summers like a frozen special dessert to comforts your loved ones, family and friends.

In Pakistan, during summers Kulfi hawkers are every where, the kulfi is set in the elongated molds and they serve the kulfi by adding extra cream over the kulfi, Malai Kulfi.

Undoubtedly, one of the best frozen dessert to eat in the summers is Kulfi that is rich, dense, creamy, flavorful and milky .In summers it decreases the body’s temperature from inside and giving cooling effect by eating the cold frozen and  palatable dessert like this.

HISTORY

It is said that Kulfi is the frozen dessert from the 16th Century, the era of MUGHAL’s. This is cooked at that time by adding so many rich ingredients to flavors the kulfi like almonds, saffron, cardamom, rose etc and than packed in the steel made molds , at that time these frozen dessert are made by capturing the ice form the Himalayas and kept it in that ice to make it cold and frozen.

It is not wrong to said that it a dish of Mughal cuisine and than became part of the Indian subcontient and after the division this dish included to the national cuisine of the Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

INGREDIENTS

• 1 liter milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 to 6 tbsp almonds crushed
• 4 to 6 tbsp pistachio crushed
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 2 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 tsp saffron

METHOD

• Take a cooking pot and add milk into it and start reducing it, it take about 15 to 20 minutes to thicken the milk when reduced to half.
• At that time cool the milk little and than add sugar and cream into it.
• Stir it continuously than add the all other ingredients.
• Take the molds and add the mixture when it reached to the normal temperature.
• Let it set for 6 to 12 hours, and serve it with almonds.

In the following recipe you can add the flavors of the choice like the old ages flavors are:

• Saffron
• cardamom
• rose
• almond
• malai ( creamy )

And now a days the new flavors are introduced like :

• Mango
• strawberry
• Chocolate and many more

CUISINE : MUGHAL’S CUISINE

COURSE : DESSERT

PREPARATION TIME : 10 MINUTES

COOKING TIME : HALF HOUR

SETTING TIME : 12 HOURS

CALORIES : 200