📍 Where this dish comes from: Varanasi · Ghats of the Ganges
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Kulfi is not ice cream — it is denser, slower, and more luxurious. Traditional kulfi requires hours of reducing milk to a thick rabri before freezing; this version achieves the same density by reducing cream and coconut milk together, adding xanthan gum for creaminess, and freezing without churning. Denser than ice cream, colder than a Delhi December night, this frozen cream on a stick is studded with crushed pistachio and scented with rose water, and its slow, luxurious melt across the tongue is one of the greatest, most distinctive pleasures Indian cuisine has to offer.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 265kcal
Ingredients
- 400 ml full-fat cream
- 200 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp erythritol
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tsp rose water
- 1/4 cup pistachios finely chopped
- Few strands saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (for creamier texture)
Instructions
- Simmer cream, coconut milk, sweetener, and cardamom until reduced by ¼.
- Cool completely; add rose water, pistachios, and saffron.
- Whisk in xanthan gum.
- Pour into kulfi molds or popsicle molds.
- Insert sticks; freeze minimum 6 hours.
- Unmold by briefly running under warm water.
- Garnish with crushed pistachio.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 265kcal | Protein: 25g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 1g
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Health Benefits
- Pistachios provide lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, among the highest levels of any nut.
- Saffron contains safranal, studied for its potential effects on anxiety and sleep quality.
- Rose water contains vitamins C and A in small amounts alongside flavonoids studied for their calming properties.