There’s something deeply nostalgic about Malai Kulfi for me—it instantly transports me to hot summer afternoons of my childhood, where a tiny kulfi cart would roll down the street, and the familiar bell would send us running with coins clutched in our fists. This classic Indian frozen dessert holds a special place in my heart, and today, I’m so excited to share my homemade version with you.
Malai Kulfi is a rich and creamy frozen treat, often described as traditional sub-continental ice cream—but it’s so much more than that. Unlike regular ice cream, kulfi is denser and silkier, made by slowly simmering full-fat milk until it reduces and thickens, concentrating all its creamy goodness. It’s then flavored with cardamom, sometimes saffron, and often finished with crushed nuts like pistachios or almonds for a bit of texture.
This recipe is my go-to when I’m craving something indulgent yet nostalgic, and the best part is—you don’t even need an ice cream maker to make it! Let’s dive in and bring a bit of that old-school charm to your freezer.
Malai Kulfi
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1.5 litre Milk
- 1/4 cup Milk powder
- 1 tbsp Fresh cream
- 1 tbsp Almond powder
- 1 tsp Green Cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp Chopped nuts garnish
Instructions
- Spread 1 cup of sugar in a pan on low flame and do not stir until it starts dissolving
- Mix it well with a spatula once it dissolves
- Once you think the sugar is completely dissolved, add in 1.5 liters of milk
- Mix it until the milk becomes light caramel in color and there are no lumps
- Add 1 cup of fresh cream to the milk and whisk it well
- Add 1/4 cup of milk powder, and 1 tsp of cardamom powder
- Cook it on low flame for 5-8 minutes
- Add in two chopped slices of bread and mix it well
- Add 1 tbsp of crushed almond powder, and cook it until it thickens
- Add sugar according to your taste, I added 2 tbsp of sugar and mix well
- Turn the flame off and let it cool completely
- After 2 hours, when you think it has completely cooled down, use a hand blender to smoothen it
- Take a mold and add some chop nuts on the bottom of the mold
- Add your malai kulfi mixture to the mold and cover or wrap it
- Pour it into kulfi molds and set it in the freezer for 12 hours
- If you don’t have molds, you can use small glasses and fill them up
- To un-mold it, dip it in normal water and insert ice cream sticks
- Serve and enjoy your malai kulfi while its cold