Almond Kulfi (Indian Ice-cream)

Kulfi is an unique kind of ice-cream made from simmering the milk slowly in a heavy bottomed wok. It gets a special flavor because of this. Traditionally, kulfi-wallahs (the hawkers who used to sell kulfis in summer going home to home), used to put it in a cone-shaped earthenware and freeze it inside a old-fashioned coolbox with lots of ice in it. At home, you can freeze it in any container and put them in your freezer. In few hours it will be ready to eat. In restaurants, it is served with Falooda, vermicelli made from fine corn flour.



Ingredients:
11/2 litre full-cream milk
12 oz. can of condensed milk
1 tbsp. corn flour
1 tbsp. semolina (sooji)
1/4 cup of cold milk or water
few strands of saffron (optional)
1/2 cup of blanched almonds, cashews, pista
1 tsp. of green cardamom powder
4-5 drops of rose water

For garnishing
Flakes of almonds
Half crushed cardamom seed

Method :

• Soak pistachio and almonds in hot water for 1/2-1 hour. Hot water loosens the skin. Peel the skins off. Then blanch them in small pieces.
• Dissolve corn flour and semolina in 3-4 tbs. of cold milk or water.
• Boil milk in a heavy bottomed wok or kadhai, until it is reduced to half. You must keep stirring it regularly.
• Keep scrapping off from the sides and bottom of the pan every few minutes and putting it back in the simmering milk. It is this skin that gives the kulfi it's distinctive texture.
• Now add condensed milk, saffron and cardamom powder to the milk. Take corn flour and semolina, mash a little and pour into the milk. Stir continuously and boil for few more minutes, until the mix thickens like custard. If it is too thin, add a little more corn flour dissolved in cold milk and cook for few more minutes.
• Take the pan out of stove and cool. After it cools down a little, add nuts and rose water. Stir to fold them nicely.
• Pour in kulfi moulds or any container. Garnish with some almond and cardamom seeds. Freeze them in your freezer. It usually takes 5-6 hours.
  
• Take out at least 1/2 an hour before serving as kulfi is eaten when it is slightly melting from the edges. If you're using kulfi-moulds, using a knife, ease each kulfi out onto the plate.
• Serve with falooda or on its own.

Notes : Instead of condensed milk, one can use sugar. Then for 11/2 litre of milk add 500 gm of sugar, at the same time when adding condensed milk.