Equipment
Ingredients
Kulfi Base
- 1000 ml full-fat whole milk
- 200 g sweetened condensed milk
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 2 g green cardamom powder, freshly ground
Guava Flavoring
- 250 g pink guava puree, strained of seeds
- 1 g fine sea salt
- 1 g red chilli powder
Tropical Fruit Salad
- 150 g mango, peeled and finely diced
- 150 g papaya, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
- 50 g passionfruit pulp
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh mint, chiffonade or finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 358 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 37 g
- Sodium
- 196 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 56 mg
- Potassium
- 671 mg
- Calcium
- 320 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 48 mg
- Phosphorus
- 269 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 252 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 124 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.52 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 56 mcg
- Water
- 256 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pour the full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching.
Reduce the heat to low. Allow the milk to simmer and reduce for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping down the dried milk solids from the sides of the pan back into the liquid. Continue until the milk has reduced by exactly half.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and ground cardamom. Simmer for another 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors and slightly thicken the mixture further. Remove from heat.
Transfer the hot milk mixture to a clean bowl and allow it to cool completely to room temperature (about 20C/68F). Do not add the guava puree while hot, or the acidity will curdle the dairy.
Once the base is completely cool, gently fold in the pink guava puree, sea salt, and optional red chilli powder until uniformly combined.
Pour the mixture into kulfi or popsicle molds, leaving a small gap at the top for expansion. Insert sticks if using, seal tightly, and freeze for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
About 15 minutes before serving, prepare the tropical fruit salad. In a mixing bowl, toss the diced mango, papaya, passionfruit pulp, lime juice, and chopped mint together.
To serve, briefly dip the outside of the kulfi molds in warm water for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen. Extract the kulfi and plate immediately alongside a generous spoonful of the tropical fruit salad.
Chef's Notes
- Scraping the caramelized milk solids from the sides of the pan during reduction is critical; it provides the signature dense, caramelized flavor profile of authentic kulfi.
- If fresh pink guavas are unavailable, high-quality canned pink guava puree or nectar can be reduced on the stove until thick before adding to the base.
- The optional pinch of chilli powder is a nod to 'amrood chaat', a popular Indian street snack where fresh guavas are sprinkled with salt and chili.
- For easier demolding, run the molds under lukewarm water rather than hot water to prevent the exterior from melting too quickly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Fruit salad only. Store the kulfi strictly in the freezer.
Freezer: 1 month — Keep tightly sealed in molds to prevent freezer burn.
Troubleshooting
Ice crystals formed inside the kulfi
Cause: The milk was not reduced sufficiently, leaving too much water content in the base.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully frozen, but can be pureed in a blender and refrozen to slightly improve texture.
Prevention: Ensure the milk reduces fully to half its original volume before adding remaining ingredients.
The milk curdled when adding the guava puree
Cause: Guava puree was added while the milk base was still hot, causing the acidic fruit to split the dairy.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always wait until the dairy base is completely at room temperature before introducing acidic fruit purees.
Cultural Context
Kulfi originated in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era in the 16th century. Traditionally, it is prepared by slow-cooking flavored milk over low heat, yielding a denser, creamier texture than Western ice creams. Combining it with guava (amrood) bridges classic royal desserts with lively Indian street food culture, where fruits are frequently enjoyed with savory, spicy seasonings.
