“Kuuuuulfiiiii Malaaaaiiiiii” yells out the marsan on his motorcycle as he rides around suburban streets. This was a quintessential memory for all kids who grew up in Mauritius in the 70s, 80’s and 90’s. And Dad always reflects fondly on this experience. Read on to learn more about this refreshing Indian dessert and how you can make your own Kulfi Malai.
9 ingredients | 11 steps | 55 min
Why You Need This Recipe
- Traditional Kulfi is a rarity in the Western world. So, make your own in less than one hour.
- You can control the amount of sugar you add depending on your own personal preference or dietary requirements.
- All ingredients should be easily accessible from your local supermarket or Indian grocer.
About Kulfi Malai
Kulfi Malai is a frozen dessert that originates from the Indian subcontinent during the 16th century Mughal era. Even though it is often referred to as Indian ice cream, Kulfi bears a few differences to the European creation. Indeed, Kulfi Malai is denser and creamier than most ice creams. The main reason for this difference in texture comes down to the production methods. Unlike ice cream, Kulfi is not whipped. As a result, the frozen treat is solid and dense and melts more slowly than ice cream.
In India and Mauritius, it was traditionally sold by street vendors called kulfiwallahs and marsan kulfi. The traditional flavours of Kulfi are cream (malai), rose, mango, cardamom (elayti), saffron (kesar or jafran) and pistachio. Nowadays, you can also find more modern flavours such as apple, orange, strawberry, peanut and avocado.
What You Will Need
Kulfi Moulds
The traditional shape for Kulfi is conical with a flattened top. And the best way to recreate this is by using purpose-made metallic moulds. As a matter of fact, those moulds are indelibly attached to so many childhood memories because traditional street vendors would use them. And a big part of the experience was hearing them gently tap the mould to release your kulfi onto your plate.
Star Ingredient
Khoya (Mawa)
You can not make Kulfi Malai without khoya, it is as simple as that! Also known as khoa, khowa or mawa, khoya is a dairy food that is widely used in the Indian subcontinent. Traditional khoya is made using dried whole milk or milk thickened in an open pan. As a result, it is lower in moisture than fresh cheeses such as Ricotta. One other difference is that khoya consists of whole milk rather than whey.
Khoya is very versatile and finds itself in a number of Indian Mauritian recipes such as Barfi, Gulab Jamun and Halwa.
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
If you can’t find khoya at your local shops, you can actually make it yourself from scratch. Simmer full-fat milk in a large, shallow iron pan for several hours over a medium heat. The gradual evaporation of the water will leave the milk solids behind. The ideal temperature to do this at is about 80°C or 180°F.
An alternative method is to add full fat milk powder to skimmed milk. Once it is uniform, heat it up in the same way as described above. While this method tends to be faster, the end product may not have the same characteristics as traditional khoya.
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Kulfi Malai.
1
To a heavy bottom pan, add full cream milk and a pinch of saffron to a medium-high heat.
2
After around 5 minutes, when the milk is a little bit warm, add the heavy cream to the pan.
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
3
Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.
4
5
6
Once the khoya dissolves, add the sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves.
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10
Let the mixture cool down completely. Once the milk has cooled down completely, pour into kulfi moulds or any other container of your choice. Cover and freeze till completely set, around 6-8 hours.
11
How to Serve Kulfi Malai
Without a doubt, Kulfi Malai is the perfect refreshing treat on a hot summer day. But if you live in the tropics, then it can be the perfect treat all year round. Kulfi is typically eaten after a meal or with afternoon tea. This particular recipe includes cardamom which will help you digest your meal.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use this recipe to make different flavours of Kulfi?
Yes, you definitely can. For example, you can replace the nuts, cardamom, saffron and pistachios with rose water and rose syrup. This will produce a beautiful pink Kulfi with delicate rose flavours.
My local shops don’t sell khoya. What can I do?
I wouldn’t recommend skipping khoya in this recipe. However, you can attempt to make your own using the steps above. It will take a bit longer, but you should be able to replicate the texture and flavour in traditional khoya.
I don’t have metal conical moulds. What can I use?
While those moulds certainly bring back childhood memories, you can also use any ice cream or icy pole moulds to make Kulfi.
Printable Recipe Card
Kulfi Malai
Equipment
- 6 kulfi moulds
Ingredients
- 1 litre milk full cream
- ⅓ cup thickened cream
- 3 tbsp khoya crumbled (also known as dried milk solids)
- 1 tbsp milk powder optional
- 2 tbsp nuts finely chopped (I used mix of cashews, almonds and pistachios)
- 5 tbsp sugar adjust to taste
- 6-7 cardamon green pods, skin removed & crushed
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 handful pistachios chopped (to garnish)
Complete Recipe Steps
- To a heavy bottom pan, add full cream milk and a pinch of saffron to a medium-high heat.1 litre milk, 1 pinch saffron
- After around 5 minutes, when the milk is a little bit warm, add the heavy cream to the pan.⅓ cup thickened cream
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.
- Let the milk simmer on medium heat for around 30 minutes, stir regularly to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- After about 30 minutes, the milk will look quite thick, at this point add crumbled khoya and mix. Keep mixing until the khoya dissolves which will take 5-7 minutes.3 tbsp khoya
- Once the khoya dissolves, add the sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves.5 tbsp sugar
- Then add the crushed nuts. I crushed these using my mortar and pestle but you can use an electric mixer. Be mindful not to over-crush because the coarsely chopped nuts give the kulfi its delicious texture!2 tbsp nuts
- Add milk powder (if using) and mix. Simmer for another 5 minutes. In total, I cooked the milk for about 50 minutes. It should get really thick by the end of cooking and it will continue to thicken as it cools down.1 tbsp milk powder
- Remove pan from heat, then add cardamom powder and mix.6-7 cardamon
- Let the mixture cool down completely. Once the milk has cooled down completely, pour into kulfi moulds or any other container of your choice. Cover and freeze till completely set, around 6-8 hours.
- Once frozen, place the kulfi mould under warm running water for 30-45 seconds and then tap the mould on the plate. The kulfi should come out very easily. Garnish with a few chopped pistachios and enjoy the delicious Kulfi Malai!1 handful pistachios
