THANDI THANDI KULFI

Kulfi is a traditional frozen dessert in South Asia, sometimes referred to as “Indian ice cream.” It is popular in India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, as well as the Middle East. It can be found in Indian restaurants around the world.

Kulfi is similar to ice cream in appearance but is denser and creamier. It is most similar to frozen custard desserts in North America and comes in a variety of flavors—but the most popular and traditional ones are pistachio, vanilla, mango, rose, cardamom, and saffron. It is often served on a stick but can also be eaten off a plate, leaf, or out of a cup.

The dessert likely originated in northern India (then under the Mughal Empire) in the 16th century. Traditional desserts already contained a condensed milk mixture to which the Mughals added pistachios and saffron, packed it into metal cones, and froze it using a slurry mixture of ice and salt. They then transported the dessert from the Himalayas to warmer parts of the empire—andkulfi was born. The word “kulfi” comes from the Persian word for a covered cup.