kulfi recipe with step by step photos – a simple and easy recipe of delicious kulfi made with khoya (mawa or dried evaporated milk solids).
in the hot summers in india, kulfi which is basically a frozen indian dessert is much sought after. i still remember the kulfi wallah (a vendor selling kulfi) carrying a large earthern pot on his head and selling kulfi door to door. in the hot months of april and may, we would always ask him to stop and serve us kulfi. he would remove kulfi from the moulds and slice them on a large serving leaf. no plastic plates in those days and hence so eco-friendly.
the fond memories of having kulfi is not only limited to my home, but also at the chowpatty beach in mumbai. we had our favorite punjabi stall for kulfi. now here the vendors would serve us kulfi with falooda (corn starch vermicelli), sabja seeds and rose syrup. they had a lot of varieties of kulfi and i would always get confused which one to order. few more kulfi and ice cream recipes posted on blog are:
as a family, kulfi was a much loved dessert. so not only mom would make different types of kulfi, but also my dad would get mixed kulfi at times from a nearby kulfi shop on his way to home from work. so preparing and serving kulfi is in the family.
there are many ways a kulfi can be made. traditionally kulfi is made from thickening milk to rabdi. kulfi can also be made with condensed milk. here as mentioned above, i have added khoya (mawa). khoya is evaporated milk and imparts a lot of flavor and taste to the kulfi.
this kulfi recipe is very easy and does not take a lot of time. i have added pistachios and almonds as dry fruits. but then you can have your choice of dry fruits added like cashews and raisins.
try this kulfi recipe and you will love it for its ease, simplicity and a great taste and texture.
kulfi recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR kulfi recipe
- 3 cups full fat whole milk or 750 ml
- 75 to 80 grams mawa (khoya or evaporated milk) - about 3.5 to 4 tablespoon mawa
- 2 to 3 tablespoon organic unrefined cane sugar or regular sugar - adjust as required. (i added 3 tablespoon of unrefined cane sugar)
- 1.5 tablespoon rice flour or 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 3 tablespoon milk to dissolve the rice flour or corn flour
- 20 shelled unsalted pistachios (pista)
- 20 almonds (badam)
- 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi) - powdered in a mortar-pestle
- 1 teaspoon kewra water (pandanus or screw pine) or rose water or a drop of kewra essence or rose essence
- 2 pinch of saffron (kesar) - crushed
HOW TO MAKE kulfi recipe
reducing milk and preparation for kulfi recipe
- in a wide pan or kadai, heat milk on a sim or low flame for at least about 18 to 20 mins. the milk will reduce and thicken in this period of time.
- grate the khoya or crumble it very well. keep aside. powder the pistachios and almonds to a semi fine consistency in a dry grinder or in a mortar-pestle. keep both of them aside.
- crush the cardamom pods in a mortar-pestle and powder finely. discard the husks.
- dissolve the rice flour or corn starch in 3 tbsp milk. mix very well. keep aside.
making kulfi recipe
- after 18 to 20 minutes, add the sugar and stir.
- let the sugar dissolve and after 3 to 4 mins, add the rice flour paste or corn starch paste.
- keep on stirring after adding the paste, so that no lumps are formed.
- the whole mixture has to be lump free, so keep on stirring.
- after 4 to 5 mins, when the mixture has thickened, add the khoya (mawa), powdered almonds and pistachios along with cardamom powder.
- stir very well and just simmer for a minute or two on a low flame. keep on stirring so that the khoya (mawa) is distributed evenly.
- switch off the flame.
- add the kewra (pandanus or screwpine) water or rose water and crushed saffron.
- let the kulfi mixture cool.
- then pour the kulfi mixture in kulfi moulds or in serving bowls or in a tray.
- freeze the kulfi.
- once the kulfi is well set, unmould the kulfi sliding a butter knife at the edges. remove on a plate. slice the kulfi and serve immediately. you can also serve kulfi directly in the serving bowls or glasses.
preparation to make kulfi recipe
1. in a wide pan or kadai, heat milk on a sim or low flame for at least about 18 to 20 mins. the milk will reduce and thicken in this period of time.
2. dissolve the rice flour or corn starch in 3 tbsp milk. mix very well. keep aside. i prefer rice flour for thickening in kulfi instead of corn starch as it gives a creamy texture.
3. grate the khoya or crumble it very well. there should be no large pieces or lumps. powder the pistachios and almonds to a semi fine consistency in a dry grinder or in a mortar-pestle. keep both of them aside.
making kulfi
4. after 18 or 20 mins, add sugar to the milk and stir well. also keep on scraping the milk solids from the sides and keep them adding to the simmering milk.
5. when the sugar has dissolved and after 3 to 4 mins, add the rice flour paste or corn starch paste. keep on stirring while adding the rice flour paste, so that no lumps are formed. you have to keep on stirring for some minutes till the milk thickens. in case you see small lumps, then just break them with the spatula or spoon.
6. after 4 to 5 mins, when the mixture has thickened, add the grated mawa/khoya, powdered almonds + pistachios and cardamom powder.
7. stir very well and just simmer for a minute or two on a low flame. keep on stirring so that the khoya/evaporated milk is distributed evenly.
8. switch off the flame. add the kewra water or rose water and crushed saffron.
9. let the kulfi mixture cool. then pour the kulfi mixture in kulfi moulds or in serving bowls or in a tray or in shot glasses. scrape the milk solids also from the sides and add them to the glass.
10. cover with lids or aluminium foil and keep kulfi in the freezer till it sets.
11. once the kulfi is well set, unmould the kulfi sliding a butter knife at the edges. you can also rub the mould or glasses between your palms or dip in some warm water and quickly remove. remove on a plate. slice the kulfi and serve immediately. you can also serve kulfi directly in the serving bowls or glasses. you can also add it to falooda.
I am a big follower of your recipe styles the way you share it and presented it on site is amazing. I have tried few of them they all tastes yummy 😋 . Keep sharing such tips for beginners like us it helps to preserve the taste and flavours of Indians.🤗👌😀👍🏻
thank you very much deepika. so glad to read your feedback. i try to add tips wherever possible so that a beginner can make the recipe easily. thanks again.
Just made this – vegan style – dipped my finger in while its cooling off – yum! I used coconut cream/ a little coconut milk/a little soya (as didnt have a lot in villa and going to the shops is a major trek!)
Everything else the same I just increased the cardamon/almond/pistachio part by a little!
I was surprised as it actually doesn’t taste of coconut (hence my increasing the other tastes!) thankfully – as my big grind in using coconut cream/milk you usually have the underlying taste coconut…I shall try this out on my husband tomorrow – though he loves all the things i cook!! Thank you will post to Insta too! Namaste
namaste. thanks for sharing these variations. the kulfi should of taste of coconut. both coconut milk and coconut cream always give a coconut taste to any recipe they are added. so wondering why and how ? my only guess is the addition of soy milk and the increased cardamom and nuts. sure i will check on insta. thanks again.
Can we keep glasses in deep freezer?? Won’t they break?
it depends on the quality of glass. if the quality is good and then glass does not break.
Thanx for this recipe. ……..this way easy to make kulfi at home
welcome nia
Hi, i tried your recipe. But mine didn’t come out so well. It tasted more like frozen rabdi than kulfi. One thing I did different was I added condensed milk. And I froze rabdi in paper cups. So it became dry, not like the one shown in your final pic, dripping milk out of the kulfi.
What could have made my kulfi dry?
looks like the rabdi mixture has become too dry. this could be the reason. also avoid using paper cups. reason being they will absorb the liquids and thus the kulfi mixture will become dry.
Hi
Just love your recipes. Thankyou for making cooking delightful.
I have a lot of khoya barfi at home. Can i use that instead of evaporated milk? And how much should i use?
Welcome Ambica. Yes you can use but add less sugar as khoya barfi will already be sweet.
Hello, Thank you for such a lovely recipe. I tried making it came out very nice but it was little icy could you please tell me where did I go wrong(ASAP) as I want to make it again for my lunch party.
Thank you
first of all try to use full fat milk. also let the milk reduce till it reaches 1/3rd of its volume. then add the khoya and proceed with the recipe. keep on adding the cream or malai that is formed back in the milk. also scrape of the milk solids from the sides and add in the milk.
All your recipes turn out to be great. Including this one. Thank you.
thanks a lot deepika. glad to know. happy cooking.
Hello mam,after freeze it will get soft I want some extra soft kulfi help me
after freezing, the kulfi won’t be soft. kulfis are denser than ice creams. if you keep at room temp for some time before serving, then the kulfi will melt a bit and some softness will be there.
Hi Ma’am,Can i skip adding rose water? will it make a huge difference in the taste?
some aroma from the rose water is lost. but you can skip it. the flavor and aroma of cardamom and kesar also is fine.
Hi
Can I use milk instead of khoya ?
Meghana, khoya is required. you can use condensed milk instead of khoya. in that case, skip or add very less sugar.
Hi,
While making kulfi I dropped half bottle of vanilla essence in kulfi mix….what shud I do plz help…shud I throw away the content or is it edible
you cannot use it anyways. the taste will be bitter. you will have to discard the mixture.
Thanks for teaching me kulfi with malai
welcome bharti.
Hi Dassanna.
Your blog has been my best friend since I got married two years back!!! Tried this recipe yesterday. Tastes good, just that there are a lot of water crystals in the kulfi. Is it because I had used 3.5% fat milk? That’s the max fat percentage I get in milk where I stay. Should I have boiled it more than 18-20 mins? Can we used Amul cream to add to increase its creaminess?
Thanks Renee. Could be because of 3.5% milk. You could have boiled it more. You can add amul cream. from your queries, looks like you are a experienced chef.
How can one grate evaporated milk because it’s sold in a can here and is liquid form.
chamila, the evaporated milk that we call in india is basically dried evaporated milk solids and is in solid form. we call it as khoya or mawa. you can use the liquid evaporated milk instead of khoya.
Hi. I have lot of sweetened roasted khoya with me, 700 gms. Can I make this kulfi using all khoya and just little milk. I have to consume khoya fast and we are just 3 people at home
you can use the entire khoya to make kulfi and add less milk.
What can we use instead of rice flour or corn flour to eat in fast?
you can use arrow root flour. if planning to make sweets like kulfi etc, then arrow root flour works as a good thickening agent.
YUMMY… Which brand of rose water do u use?
currently i am using an indian brand called key brand.
Could not wait for ur reply. skipped Khoya or condensed milk.boiled 1 litre milk n reduced it to 250 ml.it was mind blowing.thank u
thankyou rakhi 🙂
I have tried lots of ur recipe n each one was perfect.wanted to no can I make kulfi with 2 litre milk to get thick texture and skip Khoya or condensed milk?