Kulfi

Happy Diwali! What better way to celebrate than with some kulfi!


Full disclosure, I did not know it was Diwali this weekend until Wednesday afternoon. My friends and I decided to throw together a last minute dinner party and I wanted to make Mai's infamous ice cream recipe. I will also be making some biriyani - recipe on that to come.

Mai and Paul gave me some adorable pink prep bowls for my birthday. This goes well with my heart shaped measuring cups!

If you don't have a mortar and pestle, a coffee grinder is another way to grind your spices. To crack the shells on the cardamom pods, I gave them a quick whirl and dumped them into a bowl and separated the shell from the pods.

Tempering eggs for custard is not as scary as it seems, though your first time you may possibly end up with scrambled eggs. Just be sure to pour the warm mixture into the eggs slowly and whisk fast. This can be quite a feat with a heavy mixing bowl, but should be manageable.

I couldn't resist, I had to try a scoop before the party Friday night.

I haven't made ice cream in a reeaaallly long time. Welcome back into my life! I forgot how quick and easy it is to make at home.

Pistachio, Almond, and Cardamom Ice Cream, recipe from Mai

Makes 1 Quart

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, lightly toasted (half ground, half roughly chopped)
• 1/3 cup unsalted, raw almonds lightly toasted (half ground, half roughly chopped)
• 3 egg yolks

Crush the cardamom in a mortar and pestle (or coffee grinder!) and throw out the shells. Heat whole milk and cardamom, nutmeg and sugar in a double boiler for 5 minutes. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs to create a custard. Set up another bowl with a sieve over it, and pour the custard through this. 

Add the ground pistachios and almonds and cool the mixture in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight. Once the mixture is cold, add heavy cream. Pour into the ice cream machine and churn for about 30 to 35 minutes (be sure it doesn't over churn - it will start to look like butter). In the last 5 minutes, add in the roughly chopped pistachios and almonds.