Indian Matka Kulfi (Saffron and Almond)
Whole milk boiled down to a third of its volume, sweetened, scented with saffron and cardamom, studded with almonds and frozen still in small clay pots, never churned.
Kulfi is the frozen milk dessert of the Indian subcontinent. Wikipedia says it is said to have begun in 16th-century Delhi under the Mughal Empire, that the name comes from the Persian "qulfi", meaning covered cup, and that the Ain-i-Akbari, the record of Emperor Akbar's court, mentions saltpeter used for cooling and Himalayan ice brought down to the plains. Food historian Charmaine O'Brien, quoted there, suggests it may have started in cooler Persia or Samarkand before the Mughals refined it. Kulfi is milk slowly cooked until thick and lightly caramelized, poured into molds and sealed, then frozen in a pot of ice and salt. Because it is never churned it is denser than ice cream and melts more slowly. Street sellers called kulfiwallahs still sell it from clay pots.
Why it works the kitchen science
Reduction does the work of churning
Boiling away two thirds of the water concentrates the milk solids and sugar, so there is too little free water to form big ice crystals, even though the kulfi is frozen still.
Slow browning
Long simmering lightly caramelizes the milk sugars and proteins, giving kulfi its cooked-milk flavor.
Step by step
- Step 1
Bring the milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat, about 10 minutes, stirring so it does not catch. Spoon 1 tbsp of the hot milk into a small cup with the saffron and set it aside.
- Step 2
Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides every 2 to 3 minutes and stirring the skin back in, until reduced to about 2 cups (one third), 60 to 75 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the sugar until dissolved, about 1 minute. Take it off the heat.
- Step 4
Stir in the saffron milk, the almonds and the cardamom. Cool 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Step 5
Pour into 4 small clay pots, kulfi molds or 4-ounce paper cups. Cover with foil.
- Step 6
Freeze 4 to 5 hours, until firm. Serve straight from the pots, or dip a mold in warm water for 10 seconds and turn the kulfi out.
Indian Matka Kulfi (Saffron and Almond)
Serves 4 · about 2 cups (4 small pots) · 1 hr 25 min total
Kulfi
- 6 1/3 cups (1 1/2 liters) whole milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- A generous pinch of saffron threads (about 15)
- 10 to 12 almonds, toasted and chopped
- A pinch of ground green cardamom
Method
- Bring the milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat, about 10 minutes, stirring so it does not catch. Spoon 1 tbsp of the hot milk into a small cup with the saffron and set it aside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides every 2 to 3 minutes and stirring the skin back in, until reduced to about 2 cups (one third), 60 to 75 minutes.
- Stir in the sugar until dissolved, about 1 minute. Take it off the heat.
- Stir in the saffron milk, the almonds and the cardamom. Cool 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Pour into 4 small clay pots, kulfi molds or 4-ounce paper cups. Cover with foil.
- Freeze 4 to 5 hours, until firm. Serve straight from the pots, or dip a mold in warm water for 10 seconds and turn the kulfi out.
Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's "Matka Kulfi": (1 1/2 liters milk reduced to a third, about 500 ml; 1/4 cup sugar; saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk; 10 to 12 toasted almonds; a pinch of cardamom; four small clay pots; 4 to 5 hours in the freezer; serves 4). Sanjeev Kapoor gives no reduction time; our 60 to 75 minutes and the heat levels are ours. His Malai Kulfi, which adds khoya (dried milk solids) for extra richness, is linked for comparison. Sanjeev Kapoor. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Use a wide pan; more surface means faster reduction. A heavy or nonstick pan helps stop scorching.
- Scrape the milk solids that cling to the sides back in; they are the richest part.
- Measure the reduction by pouring it into a 2-cup measure once or twice near the end.
- Frozen kulfi is very firm; let it stand 5 minutes before eating.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Kulfi was invented in Mughal Delhi. Disputed: Wikipedia says it is said to have originated there in the 16th century, but Charmaine O'Brien suggests a Persian or Samarkand start.
- Kulfi is never churned. Documented: frozen still in sealed molds (Wikipedia).
- Kulfi melts more slowly than ice cream. Documented as Wikipedia's description, because it is denser; not a measured comparison.
- Real kulfi needs khoya. Folklore: Sanjeev Kapoor's Matka Kulfi uses only reduced milk, while his Malai Kulfi adds khoya; both are his.
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