Rather than using condensed milk to make kulfi, Shumaila Chauhan chose the traditional way of boiling milk for a long time, waiting for it to thicken.
Her Creamy Nutty Kulfi requires a lot of effort, but produces a great end product.
Photograph: California Walnuts
Creamy Nutty Kulfi
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 750 ml full-fat milk
- ½ cup walnuts, soaked overnight
- 4 tbsp sugar (use 5 tbsp if you prefer it slightly sweeter)
- 3 tbsp aata or whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup milk + 4 tbsp milk
- 100 ml cream
- ¼ tsp ground green elaichi or cardamom
- Few strands kesar or saffron
- 2 tbsp crushed toasted walnuts, crushed
- Kulfi moulds
Method
- Drain the soaked walnuts, and then dry grind it to a coarse texture.
Add the 4 tbsp of the milk and grind to make a smooth paste.
- In another bowl, add the whole wheat flour.
Using 1 tbsp at a time, mix the flour with the 1/3 cup of milk to make a flowing liquid paste.
Add the milk in batches, else lumps might form.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the full-fat milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low and add in the whole wheat paste, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Increase heat to medium-low and cook till the milk in the pan thickens, for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Once the milk has thickened, add the sugar, saffron strands, cardamom powder, walnut paste.
Cook for another 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
Add in the cream, and cook for another 5-10 minutes till the mixture consistency is a thick rabdi-like consistency.
Take off heat and allow the walnut kulfi mixture to cool down completely.
Stir occasionally to avoid a milk film from forming on top.
Once the mixture is completely cooked, pour into a freezer-friendly container with a lid, and chill in the freezer for 1-2 hours, till the edges start freezing.
Take out of the freezer and zap in a blender for 1-2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds along with some chopped walnuts.
Close the lid tightly and freeze for 8 hours or until the kulfi is set.
To serve, dip the kulfi moulds in warm water (not hot) for 10-15 seconds till the edges loosen.
The kulfi will easily release from mould.
Serve on a plate garnished with chopped walnuts.
Note: For vegan kulfi, skip the cream and replace the full-cream milk with 375 ml almond milk and 375 ml coconut milk and the milks will need to be lightly boiled with the other ingredients and not boiled down.
For a healthier kulfi, use skimmed milk instead of full-cream milk and skip the cream.
Those on a diabetic diet should replace the sugar with stevia powder. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.
Shumaila Chauhan is the creator of the food blog Novice Housewife.
