MANGO KULFI

     Mango season comes into life with the arrival of Summer in India, bringing along with it, the golden hues of sunshine, the unforgettable aroma of ripe mangoes wafts around hand in hand with the unwelcoming flies fluttering about. When the Season strikes, the markets are flooded with a variety of mangoes from the length and breadth of the country. We can see beautiful fruits with variant shades ranging from green, yellow, orange and red piled up around.
     Along with the blissful flavour and fragrance, Mangoes always takes me back to memories of an anecdote my Mother shared with me when I was a kid -
     It was from a Malayalam Poem named MAMBAZHAM (Ripe Mango), written by Vylopilli Sreedhara Menon. The gist of the poem is - about the sad memories of a mother who had lost her child recently. A ripe mango falling from a Mango tree in her courtyard, regretfully and with a sense of loss reminds the Mother, that she had scolded her child from plucking the Mango flower blooms.  She had warned the enthusiastic child who came with a bunch of Mango blooms in his hands that plucking the blooms will spoil the yield.  Regretfully, the child said that he would never ever go near the tree again, even to pluck ripe mangoes.  And even before the Mangoes ripened, the child had passed away. The Poet through his golden letters reminds us that Children are incarnations of God, and their innocent words could come true.
       Mangoes both Ripe and Raw ones cater a treat to mango lovers around the world. It is cherished as it is or prepared into delectable delights from Pickles, Salsa, Salads, Curries to Drinks, Smoothies, Lassies and Luscious Desserts like Mousse, Ice creams, Sorbets, Panna cottas, Puddings, Shrikand and Kulfis. Mangoes, when added to a dish, give an overall new flavour, fragrance and wonderful taste adding up a zing to it.  Mango Kulfi is a traditional Indian dessert which comes into the limelight during Mango seasons, synonymously cooling down the summer heat.  Authentic Kulfis are twisted with a note of Mangoes in them.  Purée the mangoes or cut them into tiny bits and add them into the Kulfi, undoubtedly they taste great both ways.
   

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Cuisine - Indian
Recipe Type - Ice Cream, Dessert
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 10 - 15 Minutes
Cooking Time -15 - 20 Minutes
Freezing Time - 6 -8 Hours/Overnight

 

HOW TO MAKE MANGO KULFI

 

INGREDIENTS:

For Mango Kulfi:

Mango Purée - 2 Cups
Milk - 4 Cups
Condensed Milk - 2 Cups
Milk Powder - 8 Tablespoons
Khoya/Mawa - 11/2 Cups
Sugar - 1 Cup
Cardamom Powder - 11/2 Teaspoon
Saffron - Few Strands (Optional)

To Garnish:

Cashew Nuts - 10 to 12 Nos.
Almonds - 10 to 12 Nos.
Pistachios - 10 to 12 Nos.

METHOD :

• Purée the Mangoes and keep it aside. 
• Dissolve Saffron strands in a few teaspoons of milk and keep them aside.
• Mix Milk Powder in cold milk to make a thick paste, mix well until there are no lumps.
• Add the rest of the Milk to the Milk Powder Paste, along with Condensed Milk, Sugar and mix well.
• Bring this Milk Mix to boil on a very low flame for about 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Scrap the sides in between.
• Add Mawa/Khoya and mix well, preferably using a whisk.
• Leave this on a very low flame, stirring thoroughly.
• Care should be taken not to burn the mix and make sure there are no lumps.
• Add Cardamom Powder, dissolved Saffron and mix well.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Pour in the Mango Purée and mix well until it is well incorporated into the Milk mix.
• Freeze the Mix for about 2–3 hours until half set.
• Remove the mix from the freezer and whip it up in a blender or with an egg beater for a few minutes.
• Pour this into Kulfi moulds.
• Garnish it with slivered nuts.
• Again, freeze it for about 8–10 hours, or until well set.
• Serve chilled.

NOTES :

• If you feel the mix is watery, can add 1 teaspoon of Corn Starch.
• Use a wide, heavy bottomed pot to simmer the Milk Mix.
• The large surface area of the pot will speed up the process.
• While boiling the milk, stir it frequently, otherwise it will tend to burn and will totally spoil the taste of Kulfi.
• Add the Mango Purée once the milk mix is cooled down. 
• Adding Mawa/Khoya is truly optional for Mango Kulfis, I add them to give a rich texture.
• For a soft Kulfi add more sugar, also sugar helps in scalding down the milk mix soon.
• Pour only 3/4 of the level in the mould, while freezing them it tends to expand.

HOW TO REMOVE KULFI FROM THE MOLD:

• Run each mould with the lid on under a tap of running hot water or fill a bowl with hot water, stand the kulfi mould in the bowl for a few seconds. 
• Carefully invert the mould on a serving plate, holding on to the stick.
• Alternatively, can twist the mould between your palms of both of your hands.
• The idea is to make the mould warm so that Kulfis come out clean from the mould.
• Both ideas work best.