Mango kulfi recipe

AUTHOR: Mridul dua

RECIPE TYPE: dessert

CUISINE: indian

PREP TIME:  10 mins

COOK TIME:  20 mins

TOTAL TIME:  30 mins

SERVES: 3-4

mango kulfi- an indian frozen dense dessert made from milk and mango puree.

mango kulfi recipe with step by step photos – summers and kulfi go together for us. so whenever the indian summers arrive kulfi also starts beckoning. its just like summers are best to make picklesand papads. in a similar way kulfis are best in the summer. though you can still have them in the indian winters.

now coming from mumbai, i have had kulfi in many places. i liked the ones that were served at chowpatty beach topped with falooda vermicelli and some rose syrup. truly yum.

also there would be kulfi vendors who would carry a large earthen pot on their heads. inside the pot would be some ice and kulfi moulds filled with frozen kulfi. they would serve us the kulfi on large leaves. a nice eco friendly plate instead of the plastic plates that are used nowadays. i don’t know if these kulfi vendors still exist

what kulfi is and what it isn’t

kulfi is a frozen milk based indian dessert. there are many ways of making kulfi from using regular milk to condensed milk and some evaporated milk/khoya or cream are also added. i have shared the recipe to make kulfi with khoya i have also made kulfi the traditional way with rabri. cooking the milk slowly, till it evaporates and becomes thick and then making kulfi from this rabri. a long and tedious process and continuous stirring will give your hands a good exercise, but worth it.

i won’t call kulfi an indian ice cream. i still don’t know why kulfi is called as indian ice cream. ice cream is ice cream and kulfi is kulfi. i don’t see any similarities between the two of them, both texture and taste wise. kulfi is dense and ice cream is soft. you can bite into a kulfi, but ice cream just melts in your mouth. kulfi takes a long time to melt, unlike ice cream.

on mangoes:

mangoes have arrived early this year and they are pretty expensive. yet if you love mangoes, you have to empty your pockets a bit to buy them  the mangoes puree used in this recipe is from alphonso mangoes. kesar mangoes would also be good. i have also shared ano cook mango kulfi recipe. which is a quick, easy and a cheat’s version of making mango kulfi as no second time whipping required in the recipe.

thickening agent:

in this recipe, to thicken the kulfi, i have used rice flour instead of corn flour. whenever i use corn flour, i find it a bit pasty in kulfi. rice flour gives a creamy texture. however you can still use corn starch if you don’t have rice flour.

on milk:

this recipe of mango kulfi is made withalmond milk. the same recipe can also be used to make kulfi with cow’s milk.when making kulfi use full fat cow’s milk and not low fat or skimmed milk. the fat content in the milk helps the kulfi to be creamy and rich. if possible use organic cow milk. in the recipe details, i have given substitutions for using both vegan and dairy ingredients.before i proceed with the mango kulfi recipe,

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 2.5 cups almond milk or cow's milk
• 2.5 cups mango puree - approx 3-4 large sized alphonso mangoes can be used
• ¼ or ½ cup sugar - depends on the sweetness of the mangoes. so adjust accordingly.
• 4-5 green cardamom crushed or ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• a pinch of saffron/kesar
• 12-15 unsalted pistachois - blanched or soaked, peeled and sliced. keep some for garnishing
• 2 to 3 tbsp almond paste/almond meal or khoya/evaporated milk (optional)
• 21/2 or 3 tbsp rice flour or 2 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 3 tbsp almond milk or regular milk

steps  to make mango kulfi :-

1: take the almond milk and saffron in a pan. heat on a low flame. just let the almond milk come to a gentle heat. don”t simmer or boil. if using cow’s milk then simmer on a low flame for at least 15 to 18 minutes till the milk reduces and thickens.

2: add sugar. stir and let the sugar dissolve.

3: mix the rice flour with milk to a smooth paste.

4: once the sugar has dissolved, add the rice flour paste to the pan. keep on stirring as the lumps will form if you don’t keep on stirring. also add the cardamom powder.

5: cook on a low flame. keep on stirring regularly. cook till the mixture thickens. the mixture has to be thick. if the consistency is even slightly thin, then there would be ice crystals in the kulfi.

6: to have a creamy and smooth texture, the mixture need to be thick. you can see the consistency in the pic below.

7: switch off the flame and add almond paste or almond powder/meal or khoya/evaporated milk to the kulfi mixture. stir well. let this kulfi mixture cool completely.

8:  once cooled, add the mango puree and sliced pistachois.

9: stir and mix well.

10: pour the mango kulfi mixture in kulfi moulds or matkas/kulhads or cups. cover and freeze for 9-10 hours. i used two kulhads and two ramekins, so that i can unmold the kulfi from them.

11: once the mango kulfi is set, unmold them. just rub the mould or matkas (small earthern pots) between your palms or dip in some warm water and quickly remove. unmold carefully. slice them and serve mango kulfi garnished with some cardamom powder, saffron, sliced pistachios, rose petals and rose syrup.