Published: May 16, 2016 Last Modified: May 5, 2020 Freda Dias

Kulfi Ice Cream | No-Cook Kesar Pista Kulfi Recipe

Beat the summer heat with this delicious and creamy Indian Kulfi ice cream! This no-cook kulfi ice cream is a breeze to make, simply mix all the ingredients, and refrigerate. The hardest part-waiting for it to set!

What is kulfi ice cream?

Kulfi ice cream is basically a rich and creamy, traditional Indian dessert. It is prepared by evaporating sweetened milk, with continuous stirring until the milk is reduced to almost half its quantity.

During this laborious process, the sugars caramelize which give kulfi its distinct taste. The thickened milk is then poured into kulhars (kulfi molds) and placed in an ice + salt mixture, which facilitate the freezing of kulfi’s.

There are all sorts of kulfi flavours – saffron, pistachios, rose, almond, custard apple, mango etc. Well, I love all of them 🙂 Today, let’s learn how to make no-cook kesar pista kulfi ice cream!

Kulfi is undoubtedly my favorite kind of ice cream! I have fond memories of enjoying this treat during my childhood.

I still remember hearing ‘kulfi walaaaaaa‘ which meant that the local kulfi wala (Kulfi vendor) was nearby. He would carry his matka (earthern pot) covered with a red cloth containing kulfi ice creams in those metal kulfi molds, enticing us to buy some.

I guess this is synonymous with the jingle of the ice cream truck in the US, that still elicits childhood memories.

Ingredients needed

It’s summer and one doesn’t really feel like spending hours in the kitchen to make this yummy kulfi ice cream. But you can still enjoy it with this quick no-cook method.

This basic no-cook kulfi ice cream recipe uses

Condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Heavy cream
Some saffron, cardamom, and pistachios to make kesar pista flavored kulfi.

Just blend the ingredients and freeze it. That simple!

Nothing beats the way kulfi is made traditionally, but this is a decent substitute with all the ‘calorie’ rich ingredients used here.

I learned this no-cook kulfi ice cream recipe a couple of years ago from my friend Malathi, who had made this dessert for her housewarming party!

I thought it was really good, so asked her for the recipe, and she was kind enough to share it with me. I thought it was a good time to make it now & enjoy a cool, yummy treat to beat this heat!

I set the kulfi ice cream in earthen pots. You can set it in the kulfi molds which are traditionally made of aluminum, or regular plastic popsicle molds or cups will work just as well.

On second thoughts, when I was making this I realized the combination of the three milk products used here is nothing but the same thing that’s used for drizzling the tres leches cake base! So that pretty much gives you an idea of how a kulfi ice cream tastes like if you haven’t had one yet!!

The addition of cardamom and saffron add that ‘desi’ touch, along with the nuttiness of the pistachios which add a wonderful texture! And y’all know much I adore these ingredients 🙂

We love this quick kulfi recipe for its deliciousness and ease of preparation. It won’t let you down for a party, especially! So I hope you will give it a try this summer 🙂

How to make no-cook kulfi ice cream?

1.In a blender, combine 14 oz condensed milk, 12 oz evaporated milk, saffron infused milk (a fat pinch of saffron mixed with 1 tablespoon of lukewarm milk), 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder. Blend well.

2.Next, add 1/2 pint heavy cream, blend to just mix well (Do not over mix). Taste the mixture for sweetness, this was perfect for us, you can add more cream to reduce the sweetness.

3.Finally, just fold in the sliced pistachios. Transfer to kulfi molds/ popsicle’s or freezer safe container, cover the container with a cling wrap, close it with the lid and freeze it. In case you are using the popsicle mold, then cover with an aluminum foil, pierce the ice cream sticks through the foil. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight preferably.

4.How to remove kufli from the mould? Run the popsicle mold under warm water for 10-15 seconds, or run a butter knife to unmold the kulfi.

Notes

Evaporated milk is not easily available in stores, especially in India. You can make it at home using a fuss-free, no-cook method. Follow this wonderful and easy recipe shared by Poonam Mongia, which you can find here.

★ If you try this easy no-cook kulfi recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂

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