Kesar Badam Kulfi - Quick and easy dessert - பாதாம் குல்ஃபி - Step by step

    Wishing all my friends a "Happy New Year". Let this year fulfill all your dreams and hopes. Last year was a wonderfull year for me. It was full of surprises , happiness and trials. Hope to have a superb 2014.This year, visited India after 3 years. This was the biggest happiness of all. Yes, nothing can be more ,than visiting our blood relations. Hope to have a very successful 2014 towards my career.

    Enjoy this simple dessert for this new year. This kulfi can be prepared in no time, with minimal ingredients. I have adapted the recipe from " Manjula's Kitchen". It tasted so rich and yummy , and it resembled the kulfis as we get  in our country.   This dessert can be prepared ,way ahead of time.When I prepared this humble kulfi for our guests , they were amazed with its taste.

 

Ingredients:

1.Whole milk               -          4 cups

2.Bread slice                -           1

3.Corn flour                 -            1 tsp

4.Sugar                         -           1/4 cup or as required

5.Almonds                   -            1/2 cup (chopped)

6.Saffron                      -            a pinch

7.Cardamom pwdr       -            a pinch  

 

Method:

* Take half cup of milk separately. Trim the edges of the bread and cut into cubes. Take a blender, add bread slices, corn flour and half cup of whole milk . Blend them well.

 

* After the bread is grinded ,it will reach this consistency. Keep it ready. This mixture ,helps the kulfi to retain its smooth texture. If not it will be like ice cube.

* Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of milk. I have used my pressure pan to heat the milk. Bring the milk to boil . After it comes to rolling boil, bring the flame to medium low. Let it get cooked in low heat for 12 minutes. Don't stop mixing the milk, if not it will be burnt at the bottom.

* Mean while ,take a small cup ,add saffron strands and add a tbsp. of boiled milk. This way, saffron gives out beautiful colour. Let it get soaked for atleast 10 minutes.

*After 12 minutes, milk would have reached this consistency. It would have reduced to 2 I/2 cups. This way , milk attains creamy texture.

* Now slowly, add the grinded mixture into the milk. From now on, we should not leave our hands ,from mixing. Because, corn flour has the tendency to stay down. Cook for more 4 minutes.

* After , 4 minutes, corn flour would have cooked with the milk. Now add sugar .We can check the sugar and alter it according to our taste. I have added 6 tbsp. of sugar to the milk.



*Now add the chopped almonds to the milk mixture. We can also, add pistachios or any other nuts.

*Now saffron would have infused into the milk. Slowly add the saffron milk to the mixture.Cook for another 2 minutes, untill everything is blended well.

*Take a popsicle mould or paper cups or stainless steel glasses. Divide the mixture in these glasses. Cover the glasses with aluminum foil , in a way that it touches the surface of the milk. If not the kulfi will have crystalised layer.

*Insert ice cream sticks or popsicle sticks into the aluminium foil.Freeze the kulifs for atleast 6 hours or overnight. While serving, just take out the glasses , My guests enjoyed the kulfi well. It had the same taste,which we get in India.So simple and elegant dessert to please our guests.

Notes: 

* Always use whole milk for a good kulfi.
* We can also replace almonds with pistachios.
* Never leave the boiling milk unattended,if not it will be burnt and will have bitter taste.
* Instead of using popsicle moulds, we can also use a single bowl and freeze it. So we can cut like cake slices for the guests.