There is only one word to describe ice creams ,yum. Most of us kids have grown up eating this Indian mango ice cream recipe. The creamy Indian mango kulfi. It is a good way to use surplus mangoes from the garden. Creamy and super delicious. Also, a good way to pass time in summer when it is too hot to go anywhere. Setting the ice cream in the blue conical plastic cups usually free with Milkmaid, in summer was a good use of our free time. Milkmaid sweetened condensed milk was perfect for ice cream and desserts. No one was counting the sugar as kids anyway! Boy, little did we know, we would crave for such simple pleasures as grown-ups. Carefree days and an initial culinary master class of many kids. We also used those aluminium cones to set them. I still use both of these to set my ice cream.
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Mum's magic
Best recipe was set by our mums. They didn't have fancy gadgets just the good old refrigerator at max. They usually used condensed milk to make it. However, this recipe is without condensed milk. Although, many use sweetened condensed milk to make it. The only issue with condensed milk is you cannot control the sugar in it.
The traditional mango kulfi recipe was set with salt and ice cubes in a pot. Good old matka kulfi or pot kulfi traditional style. I still remember eating it as a child in Agra. Mewar ice-cream walla would come around 4pm with a big matka covered with red cloth. Small bell tingling to let every kid on the block get excited and jump on his arrival. Mostly flavors were elaichi/cardamom, kesar pista or saffron-pistachio and sometimes mango. Back then, one never cared about calories. Now, of course is a different time.
What is the difference between kulfi and ice cream?
Ice cream has a more creamier & light texture while kulfi has a more of solid texture. Kulfi is not churned unlike the ice cream. You can make Kulfi as simple as reducing the milk, adding your flavorings and allowing to set in the molds.
Ingredients
- Full fat milk
- Heavy cream
- Mango pulp
- Sugar
- Saffron (optional)
How to make Mango kulfi? Step by step pictures
- In a bowl, add chopped mango pieces and powdered sugar.
2. In a pan, heat this mixture on low flame.
3. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the pieces have broken down. Switch the flame off when puree is ready.
4. In another saucepan, add cream to milk. Allow it come to boil on low flame. Turn off the heat. 
5. Add the pulp to the milk mixture. 
6. Whisk until it is a smooth mixture. 
7. (Optional step) transfer the content to a tin/metal bowl, allow to cool in the fridge for 2 hours, mix for few seconds with a hand blender 
8. Transfer the contents to kulfi mold and move them to the freezer for 4 hours/until frozen. 
Read the recipe below:
Mango kulfi recipe
Equipment
- sauce pan
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk full fat milk
- ½ cup heavy cream or full fat cream
- 1-½ cup Mango pulp
- ¼ cup sugar
- 8-10 strands Kesar/saffron optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, add chopped mango pieces and powdered sugar.
- In a pan, cook mango mixture until the sugar has melted and the pieces have broken down.
- In another saucepan, add cream to whole milk,allow it come to boil on low flame. Turn off the heat.
- Add the pulp to the milk mixture.
- Whisk until you get a smooth mixture.
- (Optional step) Transfer the content to a tin/metal bowl, allow to cool in the fridge for 2 hours, mix for few seconds with a hand blender. You may mix the mixture with hand blender without cooling and allow to set in molds.
- Transfer the contents to kulfi mold and move them to the freezer for 4 hours/until frozen.
Notes
Substitutions
You can use any fruit pulp like custard apple, apple, strawberry, sapota, rose to make your own fruit based kulfi. However, the taste and setting time might differ according to the fruit. Most popular of kulfi are kesar pista,malai and elaichi or cardamom. You may use canned mango puree if fresh mango puree is not available. Adjust sugar and cream ratio accordingly. Add a teaspoon cardamom powder if you do not have kesar at home.
Variations
Serve the kulfi as it is with or as pieces (without sticks). You can also serve with some mango pieces, chopped pistachios & rose petals in a plate. You can also serve it as falooda.
Equipment
You do not need a fancy ice cream or sorbet maker for this ice cream. Just deep bottom saucepan, whisk and kulfi molds are good. Put an ice-cream stick if you want to serve it one mould each else cut and serve it as pieces.
Storage
It stays in the refrigerator in the mould you set it in until you serve for a week-10 days easily.
Top tips
- Insert the kulfi stick to serve the set kulfi. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes at room temperature, and then remove from the mould.
- If you want to avoid cream, you can also reduce the milk to half and make a rabdi. Follow remaining steps and adjust sugar according to your taste.
- You may need to adjust the sugar as per your needs and also as per the sweetness of the mango.
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