Pista Kulfi (Pistachio Ice Cream)
July 22nd, 2008 filed under Desserts
Kulfi is a very popular Indian ice cream. Kulfi comes in a variety of different flavors. Traditional kulfi is flavored with cardamom; this recipe is flavored with cardamom and pistachios.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 slice of white bread
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sugar, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom (ilachi)
- 10 pistachios sliced
Method
- Remove the crust from all sides of the bread and cut the bread in small pieces.
- Blend bread pieces, cornstarch, and a 1/2 cup of milk, making smooth paste and set aside.
- Boil remaining milk (3.5 cups) in nonstick frying pan on medium high heat.
- Stir milk as needed to keep milk from burning on the bottom of the frying pan. Stir the sides of the pan to avoid scalding.
- After milk comes to boil, let the milk boil for another 12 minutes. The goal is to boil the milk from 3 1/2 cups to 2 1/2 cups.
- Add the bread mixture to the milk in frying the pan and cook for another 4 minutes, reducing the heat to medium. Bread and cornstarch are added to reduce the water crystallizing in kulfi during freezing.
- Next add sugar and pistachios and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
- Cool the milk to room temperature and pour into a bowl,
- Take cellophane wrap and place it right over the milk covering it completely. Note: It is important that the cellophane wrap touches the milk.
- Put it in freezer. It will take about 7 hours for the kulfi to be ready to serve.
Variations
- Replace pistachios with almond or coconut powder.
- Replace pistachios with finally chopped fruits like mangos or strawberries. Add fruits in the end after turning off the heat.
- Many people enjoy eating kulfi like a Popsicle. Before freezing, pour the milk mixture in to a Popsicle mold. If you don’t have Popsicle mold use small paper cups and place cellophane wrap on top of the milk and place a Popsicle stick in center of cup and freeze.
Hello manjula aunty:
I liked your recipes. I like the simplicity in your recipe. Thanks for such wonderful and great recipes. Can I use 2%milk for Kulfi / ice cream recipe. Please reply.
Vini,
You can use 2% milk but you will have to boil the milk for 5 to 6 minutes longer.
hello manjula ji
i would like to know wat is cornstarch. is it corn flour or something else plz reply me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornstarch
Hi Manjula, I’m an italian fan of yours. I like the Indian food and the way you use to cook it. I would like to congratulate you on the semplicty with whom you explain your recipes and as I want to try to cook your dishes, I would like to know the grams-weight of the plastic and glass cups that you use.
thank you for you reply and have nice days.
[...] is an Indian ice cream that is often flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, or saffron. Mine is based on Manjula’s kulfi. While she freezes hers in a mold I used my ice cream maker and put it in small molds after [...]
I hope Manjula ji will reply to you for this problem because I’m sure she has made this dish more often that I have and offer suggestions for corrections.
hi jaya, eventhough i could cut the kulfi with a knife, yet i couldnot cut it with a spoon while eating. ultimately i had to hold it in my hand and eat. dont know where i am going wrong
Swagatika,
You did not boil the milk enough or used too much corn starch.
hi jaya or manjulaji,
there were tiny ice crystals in the kulfi i made. i had pressed the plastic firmly in the mix. when i took the mixture out of the stove, it still looked a bit watery. i kept it in the freezer for more than 24 hours at the coldest point. can u pl advise. your kulfi looks creamy and yummy in the video. i could cut the kulfi with a knife after taking out though.
Swagatika, I wouldn’t worry about small ice crystals. It’s hard to prevent them completely. Did your kulfi taste good otherwise?
yes, it was lovely. thanks
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as some have suggested i used silicone muffin molds…all your recipes are always tastier….this is just an other one.
mam can u tell alternate for cellophane wrap i am in india can i use polythene cover or aluminium foil ?
Annanya use polythene