What Makes Kulfi a Favorite Among All Age Groups?

A frozen, milk-based dessert and India’s favorite ice cream, this dessert is not churned and is different from the ice creams that we usually eat. Just as the common ice cream is different from the Italian gelato, this dessert too has a unique method of preparation and presentation. 

Kulfi Recipe

You won’t find this dessert served in plastic cups or bowls. It is similar to a Popsicle and is traditionally served in a banana leaf shaped into a cone to keep the dessert from melting and dripping all over. A variant of this dessert is served in earthen cups which add a mild earthy flavor to it. Nowadays, we find them served in terracotta cups instead of earthen cups. The cups are called matkas.

The name of this dessert is derived from a Hindi word that means ice. The Persian version is spelled with as qulfi and means a ‘covered cup’. It is undoubtedly an official ice cream in India. You can see people savoring this dessert during any season, though the sales touch an all-time high during summers. Sold traditionally by kulfiwalas from evening to late night on the streets, this can be prepared at home as well.

How to Prepare Kulfi Using the Recipe At Home?

You should have realized by now that is this a rich and creamy dessert. It can be plain, flavored with saffron, or loaded with chopped dry fruits. Either way, it is dense, thicker, and slightly coarse. It has no artificial flavoring agents or food colors. That is why it is available in either cream color or pale yellow (golden).

Milk is reduced to 1/4th of this original quantity and this mixture is poured into cylindrical molds to set. Sugar is added to milk to bring that hint of sweetness to the dessert. Freeze the molds and gently slide the dessert out of the molds onto the plate.

This dessert is sometimes served with thin rice noodles, soaked in warm milk for additional texture and taste. You can also add the puree of fresh seasonal fruits to the mix and create new flavors. We can find mango, orange, and strawberry kulfis in the market during summers. 

Another variation is known as a stuffed kulfi. It is a famous dessert in North India. The pit of a mango is carefully removed without breaking the shape of the mango. The milk mixture is poured into this hole. The mango is wrapped, frozen, and later sliced.

First prepared in the Mughal Kitchens during the 16th century, the kulfi recipe included dried rose petals and dry fruits. It is said that the Mughals brought ice from the Himalayas to prepare this dessert.