Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Pista Kulfi
Pista Kulfi (Pistachio-flavoured Ice Cream)

Pista Kulfi

Pistachio-flavoured Ice Cream
VegetarianOrigin DelhiPrep 45 minutes, plus cooling and freezing time

A traditional, rich Indian frozen dessert infused with cardamom, fragrant floral water, and crushed pistachios. It has a dense, creamy texture that is served semi-frozen rather than whipped soft.

Ground cardamom

0.6 gFolded into the cooled milk base with the cream (step 5)
01
Green cardamom pod · Elaichiground
0.6 g¼ teaspoon
spice
Grind the seeds to a fine powder.

Everything else

01
Milk · Doodh
1034 g1 l
dairy
02
Granulated sugar · Cheeni
100 g
sweetener
03
Unsalted pistachio · Pistacrushed
22 g3 tablespoons
nut/seed
04
Double cream · Malai
124 g125 ml
dairy
05
Screwpine water or rosewater · Kewra water or rosewater
1.2 g¼ teaspoon
liquid

Method

  1. Pour 1034 g milk into a heavy-bottomed pan, bring to a boil, and gently simmer for 25 minutes until reduced to about 750 ml (3¼ cups).
  2. Transfer 125–180 ml (½–¾ cup) of the hot milk to a bowl containing 100 g granulated sugar, whisk until completely dissolved, and pour back into the pan.
  3. Cook over low heat, stirring steadily until thick and custardy, then mix in 3 tablespoon crushed pistachios and cook for 1 minute more before taking off the heat to cool fully.
  4. In a separate bowl, whip 125 g cream until thick and smooth, stopping before it turns stiff.
  5. Gently fold the whipped cream, 0.25 teaspoon kewra water or rosewater, and the ground cardamom into the chilled pistachio milk.
  6. Divide the mixture among kulfi moulds, leaving roughly 2.5 cm (1 inch) of headspace at the top for expansion, cover securely, and freeze for 8 to 10 hours until firm.
  7. To unmould, immerse the moulds briefly in lukewarm water, run a thin knife along the inner rim, slide onto dessert plates, and serve semi-frozen, sliced into quarters if you like.

Don't have something?

Milk
  • Whole milk

    Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.

  • Single cream

    Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.

  • Plain yogurt

    Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Unsalted pistachio
  • Pistachio nut

    Use the same weight; check if salted. If salted, rinse well and omit salt from the recipe.

  • Almond

    Use the same weight; blanch and sliver for garnish. It is milder and cheaper.

  • Cashew nut

    Use the same weight; split or grind. It is softer and gives a creamier paste.

Double cream
  • Heavy cream

    Use the same weight; whips and cooks almost identically.

  • Single cream

    Use the same weight in cooking, but it will not whip; reduce other liquid slightly.

  • Clotted cream

    Use 80% of the weight; richer and thicker, good for serving but not for whipping.

Kewra water or rosewater
  • Rosewater

    Use equal volume; replaces the grassy, pandan-like kewra aroma with a sweet floral note.

  • Green cardamom pod

    Crush seeds from 2 pods per teaspoon of floral water and add to the simmering gravy; provides sweet aromatic lift without floral perfume.

Green cardamom pod
  • Green cardamom seed

    Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.

  • Ground green cardamom

    Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.

  • White cardamom pod

    Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Similar dishes

Sherbet-e-Gulab
Rose Cordial Sherbet
Sherbet-e-Gulab tastes significantly sweeter and purely floral from the rose, lacking the warm cardamom spice and nutty notes of this dish.
  • Same: Sherbet-e-Gulab shares a base of milk, granulated sugar, and rosewater with this dish.
  • Different: Sherbet-e-Gulab is served as a chilled liquid drink rather than a frozen dessert, using a much higher proportion of sugar syrup while omitting the green cardamom and pistachios.
Mishti Doi
Sweet Yoghurt
Mishti Doi has a tangy, caramelized flavor rather than the floral and spiced taste of this dish.
  • Same: Mishti Doi is also a dairy dessert made by reducing whole milk with granulated sugar.
  • Different: Instead of flavoring the reduced milk with cardamom and floral water and freezing it, Mishti Doi ferments the milk with a yogurt starter until set.
Doodh ka Sherbet
Milk-based Sherbet
It tastes lighter and intensely of saffron and cardamom rather than dense, rich, and nutty like this dish.
  • Same: Doodh ka Sherbet also uses milk sweetened with sugar and flavored with green cardamom.
  • Different: Doodh ka Sherbet is served as a chilled liquid drink infused with saffron rather than being reduced and frozen solid, and it omits floral water.
Elaichi ki Chai
Cardamom Tea
Elaichi ki Chai tastes hotter and more intensely spiced with cardamom, lacking the chilled, floral notes of this dish.
  • Same: Elaichi ki Chai shares a dairy base sweetened with sugar and spiced with green cardamom pods.
  • Different: Elaichi ki Chai is a hot brewed beverage using far less milk and a higher ratio of cardamom, whereas this dish is a cooked and frozen dessert scented with floral water.