Pistachio Kulfi

Summers are wonderful for the ‘cool’ stuff they offer. By cool, I really mean chilly, frosty and icy.

Tis’ the perfect weather to sit indoors, in front of the TV with a tubful of ice-cream or maybe read a book; Simple indulgences that we deprive ourselves of in the rut of daily life. Gone are those days of summer vacations or days off, when one would just relax for a few days, without an agenda. This is a true luxury that most often I can’t or rather do not grant myself- yes, I am one of those people who is almost slightly, unfortunately stuck in ‘the busy trap’. (Must read this article here ).

p.s. Note to myself about the New Year resolution.

Coming back to ice-cream, since the family is visiting, and there is a lot of eating out and stashing of goodies at home, I decided to try out my mum’s tried and tested recipe for kesar pista kulfi (traditional Indian ice-cream with saffron and pistachios). I am an ardent kulfi fan and this recipe has been playing on my mind forever. Having loads of pistachios at home in our dry fruit reserve, this seemed to be a good use for the same. Traditional Kulfi is a dessert from the Indian region and is almost like ice-cream, except that it is richer and creamier. Its original form is with pistachios and saffron, and has more contemporary variations with fruits such as apples and strawberries. Being a frozen dessert, it can be made using a regular ice-cream maker, or the conventional technique of freezing, thawing, blending and re-freezing to avoid any crystallization. I prefer this particular recipe, because it is absolutely pure- made of milk, and does not have any gelatin or condensed milk as thickening agents. This recipe uses the traditional technique of slow cooking milk to make it thicker; infact the recipe is quite similar to the rice pudding or kheer recipe found here.

The recipe was a success; and it was one of those rare days when I knew it would be J. Most often, I am wondering how the results would turn out, but with this recipe and the memories of mom making it every summer, I could taste it even when it was cooking, knowing that this one would not fail. The time-honored kulfi is the perfect dessert for a busy, hot summer day; one should surely have a stock, hoarded away in the fridge.

Gajar ki Kheer/ Indian Rice Pudding with carrots

With all the international baking and cooking that has been happening on communicooking, I had begun to wonder if I wasn’t experimenting enough with our very own Indian cuisine. During my stay in London, this was not the case. Every few days, me and AM would inevitable crave for the dal-chawal (lentils and rice), and the rajma (kidney beans in Indian gravy) etc. Even when I was staying alone, although it seemed like a task to cook for only a single person, inevitably I would make Indian food for myself at least once a week. Since I talk so much about comfort food, I must mention that nothing can replace Indian food for its comfort levels. Most often, after a holiday and much eating out, all one needs is a simple meal of dal-chawal (lentils and rice) with roasted potatoes to bring one back home and easen the body out of the holiday junk. A conversation at my parents place the other day, made me also realize that while our eating habits are truly becoming global, there is a risk of us losing our traditional cuisine. Recipes of Indian Specialties like chutneys and pickles that are inherited through generations are slowly going to disappear, unless we decide to act immediately. I have very fond memories of my maternal grandmother, making Spicy pickles during vacations, and it would have been a pity if my mother hadn’t learnt the same. I cannot imagine a winter without the Sweet and Spicy Carrot pickle (Khatta Meetha Gaajar ka achaar) - post to follow soon! I have decided that 2012 for Communicooking has to bring with it- a lot of Indian cooking too. 

           Traditional kheer has its origins in India and is made with milk and rice. Owing to India’s multi-regional nature, different versions of kheer are available in various parts of the country; Payassam in south India (made with jiggery and coconut milk) and in Bengal (with vermicelli and jiggery). This I assume, and can safely say is the Punjabi version from North India, hit by severe winters. The specialty of this is that its charm is only in peak winters, when bright red carrots are available in the market. My first attempt at kheer was in London, at a pot luck meal from all countries. The trick with kheer is though, is to make it in a heavily bottomed pan, or else the milk burns (which is what had happened with me- and I had to disguise the burnt smell with a lot of green cardamom!). Another tip, is to use full cream milk and fresh spices- saffron and green cardamom/ nutmeg etc.), which add to the richness of the kheer.

            The BIL was coming for a day- and I had a full day of work. With not enough time to plan, I decided to make dessert. And this time I settled on Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding). I have very fond, winter memories of Gajar ki Kheer made at my parents’ home with carrots. It is just like the regular kheer, but with a dash of carrots, to add some color. Made only in winters, it is wonderful, especially when eaten, fresh and warm. Since it was an extremely cold day, and he had been travelling away from home for almost a month now, it seemed like – well- ‘comfort food’J! The recipe is simple, and can be achieved in less than an hour, and brings wonderful visual results. It seems exotic- but really isn’t and is just what it turned about to be- impressive!