Pistachio & Cardamom Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream)
2August 25, 2014 by Bloke In A Kitchen
This is sublime! Mrs. Bloke In A Kitchen made this for me, and it is so good, in fact, better than anything I’ve ever made, that I thought I’d include it on this blog, in a desperate attempt of bathing in the reflected glory. To make traditional Kulfi is quite a time-consuming process, so why not try this deliciously easy version instead.
INGREDIENTS
75ml / 3 fl oz boiling water
4 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
425g / 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
75ml / 3 fl oz cold water
30g / 1 oz unsalted pistachio nuts
30g / 1 oz blanched almonds
2 drops almond essence (optional)
150ml / ¼ pint of double cream
Lime zest and rose petals (optional) to decorate
METHOD
Pour the boiling water into a bowl, stir in the cardamom seeds and leave foe 15 minutes to infuse
Meanwhile, put the condensed milk into a blender or food processor together with the cold water, pistachio nuts, almonds and almond essence. Process the mixture for about 30 seconds until very finely mixed.
Add the cooled and strained cardamom water and pour into a bowl. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Whisk into the mixture. Pour into a shallow metal or plastic container and freeze for about 3 hours or until semi-frozen around the edges and mushy in the centre.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mash well with a fork (to break up the ice crystals). Divide the mixture evenly between 6-8 small moulds / ramekins, and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.
To serve, dip the base of each mould quickly into hot water and run a knife around the top edge. Turn out on to serving plates and decorate with lime zest and rose petals, if using.
Bloke In A Kitchen 
Kulfi is never made with water, nor is it ever whipped before freezing. Kulfi is nothing more than rich milk boiled down to a thickened consistency & then frozen.
Your flavours are typically Indian, although we Indians never combine lime with rose petal or pistachio.
Sorry to tell you this, but using a few typical Indian flavourings does not qualify your frozen milk-based dessert as a “kulfi.”
Hi DesiChef, thank you for your feedback, and the info. The boiling water is mainly used to infuse the cardamon. I picked up this recipe from an old book, and it is very delicious. However, if you’ve a more authentic kulfi recipe you can recommended I’d love to give it a go. Bloke In A Kitchen