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Paan kulfi
Betel leaf ice cream
पान कुल्फी: reduced-milk kulfi tinted green with betel leaf, gulkand and fennel, the after-dinner paan in frozen form (plus 8 hours freezing)
For many Lucknow and Banaras families, dinner ends with a folded meetha paan, and in Mumbai's paan shops and kulfi joints that same flavour turned into kulfi became a cult favourite at weddings and parties. The base is milk reduced by two-thirds; betel leaves, rose petal gulkand, fennel and cardamom go in once it has cooled, so it freezes dense, pale green and fragrant, with little chewy bits of gulkand. It is sweet, floral and leafy-fresh, and cuts through a rich biryani or korma dinner. A common mistake is boiling the betel leaves in the milk: they turn bitter and the colour goes khaki. Grind them raw with cold milk instead. Chef's tip: use the tender, sweet Calcutta or Banarasi leaves sold for meetha paan; the thick Maghai or Kapoori kind can taste peppery.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the kulfi
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 6 betel leaves (paan)Calcutta or Banarasi, stalks removed
- 4 tbsp cold milk
- 1 tsp fennel seedslightly crushed
- ¼ tsp ground green cardamom
To garnish
- 1 tbsp tutti frutti (optional)
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat, stirring.
8 minStep 2: Simmer on low heat, stirring every few minutes and scraping the sides, until it has reduced to about 400 ml and is thick and creamy.
35 minStep 3: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz sugar for 2 minutes until dissolved, take off the heat and cool completely.
3 minStep 4: Tear 6 betel leaves (paan) and blend with 4 tbsp cold milk to a smooth bright green paste.
2 minStep 5: Whisk the paan paste, 3 tbsp gulkand (rose petal preserve), 1 tsp fennel seeds and ¼ tsp ground green cardamom into the cold reduced milk until evenly pale green.
2 minStep 6: Pour into moulds, cover and freeze for at least 8 hours until firm.
5 minStep 7: Unmould by dipping briefly in warm water. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp tutti frutti and 1 tbsp desiccated coconut and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paan kulfi take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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