Mango kulfi

The Mughal court's frozen mango cream: reduced milk enriched with saffron and cardamom, set hard in clay moulds and unmoulded at the table

Origin: Mughal India

From the journey of Mango.

Kulfi is the Indian frozen dessert, pre-dating ice cream and distinct from it in every technical respect. While Western ice cream is churned during freezing to incorporate air, kulfi is set still (a dense, intensely flavoured frozen block of reduced, sweetened milk. It was developed in the Mughal royal kitchens of Delhi, where snow and ice were brought down from the Himalayas and used in a range of chilled and frozen preparations. The Mughals' obsession with the mango meant that mango kulfi) made with pure Alphonso pulp folded into the saffron-scented reduced milk: became one of the great frozen desserts in culinary history. It is sold on sticks from street carts across India to this day.

Ingredients

Base

1 litre full-fat whole milk
200 ml heavy cream (double cream)

Sweetening

3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp condensed milk

Mango

300 g Alphonso mango pulp (fresh or canned)

Spices

0.5 tsp ground cardamom
1 pinch saffron strands, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm milk

Garnish

2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried rose petals (optional)

Method

Pour the milk and cream into a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent a skin forming. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 30–35 minutes until the milk has reduced to about half its original volume and thickened noticeably.
Add the sugar, condensed milk, saffron milk, and cardamom. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Once fully cooled, fold in the mango pulp. Stir until completely combined. Taste: it should be sweet, intensely mango-flavoured, and richly creamy.
Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds, small cups, or a shallow freezer-proof container. Scatter pistachios over the top. Cover tightly with cling film and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve: dip each mould briefly in warm water to loosen. Invert onto plates. Scatter with rose petals and any remaining pistachios.

Notes

Alphonso mango pulp is available canned year-round (Ratna and Kesar are good Indian brands) and produces excellent kulfi outside mango season. The kulfi will keep frozen for up to 2 months. Traditional street kulfi in India is made with milk reduced even further than this recipe: the intensity of flavour is extraordinary. The method of freezing still (without churning) produces a much denser, more satisfying texture than any churned ice cream.

The Gastrographer

Name: Mango kulfi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 6 h 60 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mughal India
Ingredients: 1 litre full-fat whole milk; 200 ml heavy cream (double cream); 3 tbsp caster sugar; 3 tbsp condensed milk; 300 g Alphonso mango pulp (fresh or canned); 0.5 tsp ground cardamom; 1 pinch saffron strands, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm milk; 2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped; 1 tbsp dried rose petals (optional)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control