malai kulfi recipe | how to make malai kulfi | matka kulfi
Malai kulfi recipe with step by step photos and video – easy and delicious kesar pista malai kulfi recipe made without condensed milk or mawa (khoya). Amidst the plethora of kulfis available across India, a Malai Kulfi is one of the most popular ones.
Malai kulfi is one of the family favorites. Though I have posted some quick versions of kulfi, have not yet shared the traditional method of preparing kulfi.
In my teens, I used to prepare quick version of Kulfi recipe made with khoya or condensed milk. Later I came to know about the traditional method of preparing kulfi and occasionally I do use this method to make kulfi.
In this method, rabri is made with milk. Rabri is a creamy thick preparation after milk has been reduced to its one-third. The process is a slow cooking simmering of milk with continuous stirring.
Kulfi made this way with rabri tastes too good and you cannot compare it with the kulfi you get outside. The best part of this method is that you don’t need to add any thickening agents like cornstarch etc to the kulfi. But yes preparing kulfi this way does take some time and you have to be attentive while the milk is simmering. But the effort spent is worth the results.
This matka kulfi recipe is inspired from Jigg Kalra’s book – classic cooking of Punjab, where cream along with eggs have been added to rabri.
Being a vegetarian I have not used eggs. But the addition of cream was a clever one and I thought why not add cream in rabri and prepare malai kulfi. As the name suggests, Malai kulfi should have cream in it. At least thats what I think.
In the rabri mixture there is not enough malai, so it does make a difference when some more fresh cream is added. There is a difference in the taste and texture from kulfi made only with rabri and the kulfi made with a combination of rabri+cream.
The latter being more rich in taste as well as having a creamier texture. That said, in this recipe you can add less cream or even skip it altogether. Then you will have a simple plain kesar pista kulfi which also tastes good.
To make this matka kulfi more rich, you can also add some khoya or mawa, which I have not added. Khoya also known as mawa is basically reduced evaporated milk solids.
I have used amul whipping cream having 30% fat. You can also use amul fresh cream or any low fat cream (25% to 35% fat). I have also added dry fruits, but you can skip them.
Serve this Matka Kulfi as a dessert after meals. You can also use this kulfi to make a gorgeous and delish falooda.
How to make Malai Kulfi
1. Firstly take 1 litre full fat milk in a sauce pan or pan or kadai. Use a heavy and large pan or kadai, so that milk does not spill over and does not burn from the bottom.
2. On a low flame or low heat, bring the milk to a boil. Do stir when the milk gets heated up, so that it does not burn from the bottom.
3. Bring the milk to a boil.
4. Stir once the milk comes to a boil and add the malai (clotted cream) back to the milk.
5. Continue to cook milk on low flame till it reduces to ⅓ of its original volume. Keep on stirring and remove the clotted cream (malai) which forms on top of the milk and add it back to the milk.
6. Also keep on scraping the dried milk solids from the sides and add them back to the milk.
7. This way stirring often, reduce the milk to ⅓. Do stir and scrape often so that the milk does not get browned or burnt from the bottom as well as the sides.
For making dishes like rabri, its always better to use a thick bottomed pan or heavy kadai.
8. The milk will thicken and there will be some malai in it. Since I was using an induction stove top, it took me 25 minutes after the first boil for the milk to reduce to ⅓ of its volume.
It can take less or more time, depending on the type of stove you are using. The time may also vary depending on the quality of the pan, intensity of flame and quality of milk.
Making malai kulfi
9. Keep the flame to a low and add ⅓ cup sugar.
10. Stir so that the sugar dissolves.
11. Then add ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder.
12. Next add a pinch of saffron strands.
13. Then add 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds or sliced almonds (badam).
14. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios or sliced pistachios (pista).
15. Then add 2 tablespoons of chopped cashews. If using khoya or mawa, you can add them at this step after adding cashews. You can also add milk powder. Just grate the mawa or khoya before adding.
16. Add ½ cup cream. You can use low fat (25% to 35% fat) cream. You can also use malai which we get from milk instead of cream.
17. Mix the cream very well with the rabri mixture.
18. On low heat or low flame, just gently bring to one boil. When the kulfi mixture comes to a boil, then switch off the stove.
19. Add 2 teaspoons of rose water or kewra water. Mix very well.
20. Cover and let the mixture cool at room temperature.
21. Once done, pour the malai kulfi mixture in kulfi moulds or popsicle moulds or kulhads or matka.
22. Cover tightly with lids or aluminium foil. Freeze malai kulfi for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
Serving malai kulfi
23. Before serving, take the kulfi mould and just warm it by moving it between your palms.
24. With the back of a spoon, slid through the sides. If using a kulhad or matka, then directly have the malai kulfi from it.
25. Place the malai kulfi on a serving plate or tray. Sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios or almonds on top. The addition of finely chopped pistachios or almonds is optional and you can skip this step.
26. Serve malai kulfi immediately. You can also use this kulfi to make kulfi falooda or mango falooda.
Some more ice cream recipes
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 1 litre full fat milk or 4 cups milk
- ⅓ cup sugar or 70 grams sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cardamon powder or 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi), crushed to powder in mortar-pestle
- 1 pinch saffron (kesar)
- 10 almonds – chopped or 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
- 12 to 14 pistachios or 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- 10 cashews – chopped or 2 tablespoons chopped cashews
- ½ cup whipping cream – 30% to 50% fat or low fat cream (25% fat)
- 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water
- some finely chopped pistachios or almonds, for garnish – optional
Instructions
making rabri for malai kulfi
- Firstly take 1 litre full fat milk in a large and heavy sauce pan or pan or kadai.
- On a low flame or low heat, bring the milk to a boil. Do stir when the milk gets heated up, so that it does not burn from the bottom.
- Stir once the milk comes to a boil and add the malai (clotted cream) back to the milk.
- Continue to cook milk on low flame till it reduces to ⅓ of its original volume.
- Keep on stirring and remove the clotted cream (malai) which forms on top of the milk and add it back to the milk.
- Also keep on scraping the dried milk solids from the sides and add them back to the milk.
- This way stirring often, reduce the milk to ⅓ of its original volume.
- Do stir and scrape often so that the milk does not get browned or burnt from the bottom as well as the sides.
making malai kulfi
- Keep the flame to a low and add ⅓ cup sugar.
- Stir so that the sugar dissolves.
- Then add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Next add a pinch of saffron strands.
- Then add 2 tablespoons chopped almonds or sliced almonds.
- Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios or sliced pistachios.
- Then add 2 tablespoons chopped cashews.
- Add ½ cup cream. You can use low fat (25% to 35% fat) cream.
- Mix the cream very well with the rabri mixture.
- On a low heat or low flame, just gently bring to one boil. When the kulfi mixture comes to a boil, then switch off the stove.
- Add 2 teaspoon rose water or kewra water. Mix very well.
- Cover and let the mixture cool at room temperature.
- Once done, pour the malai kulfi mixture in kulfi moulds or popsicle moulds or kulhads or matka.
- Cover tightly with lids or aluminium foil. Freeze malai kulfi for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
serving malai kulfi
- Before serving malai kulfi, take the kulfi mould and just warm it by moving it between your palms.
- With the back of a spoon, slid through the sides. If used a kulhad or matka, then directly have the malai kufli from it.
- Place the malai kulfi on a serving plate or tray. Sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios or almonds on top. addition of finely chopped pistachios or almonds is optional and you can skip this step.
- Serve malai kulfi immediately.
Video
Notes
- Malai kulfi recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- Some milk powder or khoya or mawa can also be added.
- Low fat cream as well as heavy whipping cream can be used.
- Do make sure that the milk does not get burnt. So simmer on a low flame and stir often. Also use a heavy bottomed pan or kadai to make matka kulfi.
- Rose water or kewra water can be skipped if you do not have them.
- Use full fat milk to get the best results.
Nutrition
This Malai Kulfi post from archives first published in April 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
Hello Dassana ji.
Liked the recipe, going to try it, just want to know that instead of sugar can we use jaggery, if yes that when to add it?
You can use jaggery, but my only concern is that the jaggery should not split the milk. I would suggest to first reduce milk to ⅓ of its volume. Remove pan from stovetop and let the heat reduce for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Then add jaggery (either finely chopped or powdered), saffron and cardamom powder, nuts and lastly the cream and rose water. Mix well and let malai kulfi mixture cool at room temperature. Later pour it in the kulfi moulds or containers and freeze.
Following your recipe I made malai kulfi, used jaggery powder instead of sugar and it tasted too good.
I used malai which I had collected from boiled Amul fresh milk.
Enjoyed eating malai kulfi. Thanks for your delicious recipe.
Lovely and thanks for sharing this. I am glad that the recipe was good with jaggery. Most welcome!
Hi.. can this recipe be halved?
Neena, yes this recipe can be halved.
Hi Dassanna,
How long will it stay good if refrigerated?
Renuka, will stay good for 1 week.
Which fat milk did you use? I am going to try.
rejni, i used full fat milk.
Hello Dassana,
I am huge fan of your blog. Whenever I want to cook something new, I search the recipe first on your blog. Thanks for making cooking fun and easy.
Please tell me if I can use low fat milk instead of full fat milk in the current recipe?
Thanks,
Aarti
thank you aarti. thats sweet of you. low fat milk won’t give you the desired results. the kulfi won’t be creamy and rich. also with low fat cream, there can be ice crystals in the kulfi. so i suggest using full fat milk.
Hi Dassana,
Lovely recipe! I wanted to ask if it was okay to skip the addition of malai/cream? Would using coconut cream alter the flavor significantly?
Thanks
kathy, coconut cream will change the taste and flavor. it will be like coconut ice cream. coconut cream cannot be heated so much. thus you can just whip it and then add the dry fruits and flavoring ingredients. another way is to use almond milk. just bring it to a gently boil. but with almond milk, you will need to add thickening agents like agar agar or corn starch or rice flour or arrow root flour or custard powder. just like how a ice cream is made with milk. after adding the thickening agent, simmer on low heat till the almond milk looks thickened. add the dry fruits etc. pour in mould and freeze.
My kulfi came with crystals inside what s the mistake
HI Tharika, I also had the same problem and when I researched I found out that it often happens with home made ice cream as air doesn not get incorporated into it. To avoid this after we put the ice cream in freezer, we have to whisk/churn icecream at every 30 minute intervals for about first three hours before letting it freeze completely. I have not tried it yet though.