Good Old Kulfi

4 cups milk
8 tsp. sugar
8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground
1 tbsp. thinly sliced pistachio nuts (optional)

Place the milk in a medium-sized heavy pan over high heat. Bring to a full boil while stirring constantly to prevent a skin from forming. Lower the heat and continue boiling gently 45 - 60 minutes, until the milk is reduced to 1 3/4 cups; stir frequently to keep the milk from sticking and burning or boiling over. When the milk is reduced sufficiently, stir in the sugar and ground cardamom and let stand until completely cool.

Divide the mixture evenly among four small (about 1/2 cup) flan molds or muffin tins. Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least four hours.

To serve, dip the molds into boiling water for a few seconds to release the kulfi. Transfer to individual serving plates, garnish with the sliced pistachios (if used) and serve at once.

Aam Kulfi (Mango Kulfi)
 4 cups milk
4 tbsp. sugar
 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
#1 cup pulp from freshly pureed ripe, sweet mangoes

Proceed as above, folding in the nutmeg and mango pulp before transferring the mixture to FIVE molds.

Kesari Kulfi (Saffron Kulfi)

Follow the top recipe exactly, but fold in 1/2 tsp. crushed saffron threads and 1/2 heavy cream before filling the molds.

Makes 4 - 5 portions.

9 cups milk
 10 whole cardamom pods
6 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. chopped blanched almonds
2 tbsp. chopped pistachios, unsalted

Place the milk in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it begins to rise in the pot, reduce the heat to a slow steady boil so that the milk will continue boiling without boiling over. Add the cardamom pods. Boil, stirring frequently, until the milk is reduced to about 3 cups. If a skin forms on the milk, just stir it in.

When the milk has reduced sufficiently, remove the cardamom pods and discard; stir in the sugar, and simmer for another minute or two. Transfer the milk to a bowl and let it cool completely, then add the chopped almonds and half the pistachios.

If you have an ice cream machine, put the mixture in it and start it up. Otherwise, cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. Also put 6 individual custard cups into the freezer to chill. Every 15 minutes or so, remove the bowl of kulfi from the freezer and give it a good stir.

When the kulfi becomes so thick that it is difficult to stir, remove the bowl and cups from the freezer. Working quickly, pack equal amounts of kulfi into the cups, garnish with the remaining pistachios, cover each cup tightly with foil and return to the freezer to harden the kulfi.

Variation - Mango Kulfi


# 2 cups mango juice
# 5 fl. oz. heavy cream
# 2 tbsp. sugar

Combine all the ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Spoon the mixture into six small molds; cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer. For the first hour, remove and shake the molds every 20 minutes. Leave in the freezer until the kulfi has hardened. 

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