Kulfi Indian Ice-cream - 6 With Preserved Ginger
Kulfi 6, with Adrak Murabba
Mamta Gupta
Kulfi is the famous Indian ice-cream served by most Indian restaurants all over the world. It gets its special texture from the small bits of milk-skin that come from simmering the milk slowly in an open wok. Traditionally, Kulfi-wallahs used to make individual little kulfies in little terracotta cones, with lids sealed in place with dough. These were then placed in a larger earthenware pot (Matka or Ghara), filled with a mix of ice and salt, which reached a temperatures of up to -20? C, making the Kulfi freeze fast. This temperature is difficult to reach in normal home freezer. However, you can make a perfectly good Kulfi in any container, in your home freezer. If you have an ice-cream maker, that is even better. In North India, Kulfi is traditionally served with Falooda. This falooda is different from the falooda drink popular in Mumbai. Also see Kulfi 1 (Original), Kulfi 2, with Bread, Kulfi 3, with Paneer and Kulfi 4, with Mango and Kulfi 5, with Fruits.
Makes approximately 10 Kulfi cones.
Ingredients
1 1/2 litre full cream milk
1/2 kg. sugar or according to taste (Diabetics can add artificial sweetener but add it after cooling)
1/4 pint of double cream, malai if you live in India (optional)
1 tbsp. corn flour or arrowroot flour
1 tbsp. semolina (sooji)
3-4 tbsp. cold milk or water
A few strands of saffron (optional)
200 gm jar of Ginger Preserve in sugar syrup
50 gm. almonds, blanched and chopped
1/2 cup green pistachios, blanched and chopped
1 tsp. green cardamom powder (ground illaichi)
A little rose water or Kewra (screw pine essence) water
Instructions
Soak pistachio and almonds in hot water, leave for 1/2-1 hour. Hot water loosens the skin. Peel the skins off. Slice thinly or chop in a nut chopper. Do not put in food processor, it will make them too fine & paste like.
Boil milk in a wok/karahi/karahi, until it is reduced to half. You must keep stirring it regularly. If it catches or burns, you have to throw away the whole amount because the smell of burnt milk is rather unpleasant. A heavy bottomed pan or wok works better, as milk is less likely to catch.
Keep scrapping off the milk-skin from the sides and bottom of the pan every few minutes and putting it back in the simmering milk. It is this skin that gives the kulfi it's distinctive, rough texture.
While milk is boiling, drain and chop ginger preserve into small pieces. You can add the syrup to the Kulfi at step 7, but then reduce the amount of sugar. You can buy preserved ginger ready chopped in most supermarkets in UK.
Dissolve corn flour and semolina in 3-4 tbsp. of cold milk or water.
Add this mix to the milk and boil for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mix thickens like custard. If it is too thin, add a little more corn flour dissolved in cold milk and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add sugar, a little at a time, adjusting to taste. Stir it in. Allow to cool.
Whisk double cream until thick and fluffy, add to the cooled condensed milk, and fold in gently. I usually omit the cream.
Add chopped ginger, almonds and pistachios.
Freeze in Kulfi moulds or in any airtight container. If you have an ice-cream maker, use that. It will give you a much softer Kulfi. It is traditionally quick frozen in a mix of salt and ice (at low temperature of -20? C). This temperature is difficult to reach in normal home freezer. Kulfi is eaten when it is slightly melting on the outside/edges. So, take out of the freezer 10-20 minutes before serving, less in hot countries. If you don?t have time, either stand the moulds in a bowl of hot water for 10-15 seconds or microwave on full, for no more than 10-15 seconds.
Using a knife, ease each kulfi out onto the plate.
Serve with Falooda or with some fruits or even on its own.
