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Pista Kesar Kulfi (Pistachio and Saffron Kulfi)

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A coneshaped serving of ice cream garnished with slivers of pistachio and a saffron thread.
Photo by David Loftus

The two most elegant ingredients in the Indian pantry go hand in hand in this recipe to create one of India’s most famous kulfis. It’s not easy to buy ground pistachios; I tend to run mine through a spice and nut grinder to create a fine powder for this kulfi. You could use a food processor to chop the nuts, but you’ll end up with a chunkier nut kulfi. This scales up very well if you want to make a bigger batch.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6–8 servings

Ingredients

1¼ cups evaporated milk
1¼ cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces pistachios, finely ground
A pinch of saffron threads
Chopped pistachios, to serve

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour the evaporated milk, cream, and sugar into a saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring it fairly frequently to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

    Step 2

    When it starts to boil, turn the heat down, add the ground pistachios and saffron, and simmer for around 5 minutes.

    Step 3

    Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool down, then put in the fridge. When it is cold, pour into kulfi molds or a freezable container, cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

    Step 4

    To remove the kulfis from their molds, dip them into hot water for a second, turn them upside down over a plate, and give them a sharp tap on the top.

    Step 5

    Serve with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.

Cover of the cookbook featuring an illustrated medallion with an elephant.
Excerpted from Made in India: Recipes From an Indian Family Kitchen by Meera Sodha. Copyright © 2015 by Meera Sodha. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by David Loftus. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.

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