Carrot and Nut Kulfi
- Total Time: 6 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 6-9 1x
Description
Even without eggs, this Indian ice cream is super rich and creamy with pureed carrots providing an unexpectedly sweet base.
Ingredients
- 2 - 1/2 medium - large carrots
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) almonds
- 2 -1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
- a pinch of good quality saffron
- 1 can (14 oz) (395 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 10 pistachios, grated or coarsely crushed
Others
- 2-3 bamboo skewers / sticks
- 6-8 steel lotas / cups for molds
- muffin pan ~ optional
Instructions
- Wash, peel and slice the carrots into 1/4 inch rounds. Pressure cook carrots and almonds in just enough water to cover them or cook on stove top until soft. When cooled, puree cooked carrots and almonds in a blender.
- Bring milk to a boil in a heavy bottom saucepan. Squish saffron between your fingertips, sprinkle it into the boiling milk. Stir in the carrot-almond puree and simmer stirring intermittently (to avoid scorching at the bottom) until it reduces to about half, about 25 mins.
- Empty the condensed milk into the saucepan, stir to mix well and simmer for another 5 mins. Switch off the stove and keep the saucepan aside. Garnish with grated or crushed pistachios, stir and let cool to room temperature.
- To assemble
- Wash and dry the steel lotas or cups and arrange them in a muffin pan (comes in handy to keep them arranged neatly in the freezer)
- Cut the bamboo skewers into 3 parts. Repeat with the rest.
- Pour the kulfi mix into each of the lotas. Wrap with aluminium foil. Stick the cut skewers in the middle of the foil and wrap the foil in the lota / cup with the stick dipping into kulfi. Place in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
- To unmold, dunk the lota in a cup of room temperature water for a couple of mins.
- Twist the stick to unmold. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 kulfi
- Calories: 180
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why add carrots to a frozen dessert?
The excerpt explains that pureed carrots provide an unexpectedly sweet base for this kulfi — the carrots are pressure-cooked or boiled with almonds, then blended smooth and stirred into reduced whole milk. The carrot-almond puree, simmered until the milk reduces to about half, thickens the mixture naturally and adds a subtle sweetness without making the kulfi taste like a vegetable dish.
What molds does this recipe use, and how do you unmold the kulfi?
The recipe uses steel lotas (small cups) arranged in a muffin pan to keep them stable in the freezer. Bamboo skewers cut into thirds are inserted through foil wrapped over the top of each lota. To unmold after at least 4 to 6 hours (or overnight) of freezing, dunk each lota in room-temperature water for a couple of minutes, then twist the stick to release the kulfi.
