Malai Kulfi

When I was little, late at nights, one could hear kulfiwala's "kulffiiyyo". But those were the days when I cared for Yankee Doodles, Dollops and Baskin Robbins more than kulfi. Even at chowpaty, you could see kulfiwala in his portable matka - pot with dry ice and brass kulfi moulds. He always served fresh malai kulfi on a leaf. I have even seen kulfiwalas with a cart and weighing scale selling kulfis. Kulfiwalla's kulfi was never served with falooda noodles but the restaurants in Mumbai always served kulfi with some falooda noodles.

Anyways, I think I took a huge liking to Kulfi only after coming to the US. I always used the shortcut method using evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream to make American Desi Kulfi. But especially after becoming a food blogger, I wanted to try my mavshi's homemade kulfi recipe. It's little time consuming than blending just three ingredients but I think it's worth it.

Malai Kulfi

Indian Ice-Cream

Ingredients

1 litre milk (use whole or full fat milk!)

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

1/4 cup milk powder

1/4 cup mawa/khoya/khava

1/2 cup heavy cream/malai - (use more for even richer and creamier taste)

Method

1. Grease heavy bottomed saucepan. Pour whole milk. Bring to boil on a medium heat. Switch the flame to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Take 1/2 cup warm milk in a small bowl. Add milk powder , heavy cream and mawa/khoya/khava. Whisk together. and pour it back to the simmering milk.

3. Let it simmer, stirring in between for 20 minutes. Switch off the gas.

4. Add sugar and stir till it's dissolved.

5. Let the mixture cool down. Pour in the kulfi moulds. Freeze till set.

6. Serve along with sweetened falooda noodles or falooda sev. You can unmould the kulfi and serve as is or cut into circles and serve. Sweeten the falooda noodles by adding a few drops of rose syrup such as Ruh afza/Dabur/Rasna Shahi Gulab.

Note -

1. If desired, you can also add some evaporated milk to get the beige color to the kulfi.

2. You need to use whole milk or full fat milk. The less fat content milk will result in very icy kulfi.

3. Heavy cream or malai is a must for this recipe - after all, it's malai kulfi. Also, it makes kulfi creamier. If using malai more than 1/2 cup, adjust sugar accordingly.

4. You can use doodh masala if desired. But real malai kulfi does not have any nuts and saffron.

5. Instead of milk powder and mawa - you can use mawa milk powder available at the Indian stores. I haven't used it myself, but it's just my guess that it may work.

6. If you do not get mawa/khoya/khava, then you can use part skim ricotta cheese of the same quantity.