A sweet start to the week:

It has been a while since I've satiated your sweet tooth, so I thought I would treck out into town today and treat you to something truly delicious. If you are not familiar with Kulfi, let me be the one to introduce you to this mouth watering dessert. Though no one would turn it down, even during the icy winter season, Kulfi's true appeal is felt best under the hot summer sun. A local favorite, Kulfi is a frozen milk based dessert. One could refer to it as Indian Ice-cream, however, the texture is far creamier and the consistency is more dense when compared to western Ice-cream. While it comes in flavors like mango, the best, in my opinion and also the classic flavor is Kesar Pista. Kesar is hindi for saffron and pista is pistachio. The process of making Kulfi is also different from that of Ice-cream. Unlike Ice-cream, Kulfi is not whipped (which allows it to achieve its dense texture). The milk is slow cooked till it has reduced Upon being ready to be frozen, it is placed in tightly sealed molds, that are frozen inside a giant pot in the most peculiar of ways. I find the process of making Kulfi almost as enjoyable as eating it:



Once the Kulfi is ready, then locals turn in by the dozens to enjoy this delicious treat. It can be served with vermicelli noodles refereed to as falooda or eaten plain. Vendors or kulfiwala's usually set up shops along street sides, and wait for patrons to come by and order; upon receiving an order, the kulfiwala's break the sealed mold by cracking it hard on a brick that they keep near them and then serving the kulfi in clay baked dishes or leaf based dishes.



Kulfi can be made at home as well. There are plenty of recipes available online; However, to truly enjoy the taste of desi lucknow-a kulfi, I suggest you plan for your next vacation, brave the heat and fly on over.