Desserts

Saffron Kulfi

Name: Saffron Kulfi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 kulfis
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 litre full-fat milk; ½ cup sugar; 2 tbsp milk powder (optional, for extra creaminess); 12 Baby Saffron threads; ½ tsp cardamom powder; 3 tbsp chopped pistachios and almonds

India's answer to ice cream — slow-reduced milk, no churning, set firm around saffron and pistachio. Richer and denser than any scoop, and worth the wait.

Sliced saffron kulfi studded with pistachios on a plate

10m

Prep

40m

Cook

Serves

Medium

Level

Ingredients

1 litre full-fat milk
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp milk powder (optional, for extra creaminess)
12 Baby Saffron threads
½ tsp cardamom powder
3 tbsp chopped pistachios and almonds

Method

1
Bloom the saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes.
2
Simmer the milk on low, stirring often, until reduced by nearly half and thick.
3
Stir in the sugar, milk powder, cardamom, chopped nuts and the bloomed saffron; cool completely.
4
Pour into kulfi moulds and freeze for 6 hours or overnight until firm; unmould and serve.

The saffron tip

Add the bloomed saffron once the milk has reduced and cooled a little — boiling it too long dulls both the colour and the delicate aroma.