All Scream for Ice Cream

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When it’s an average of 106F and the sun is full every day…all day…and the only respite is around midnight when the temperature drops to a balmy 95F, what else can you do but eat ice cream?

I have not done any form of exercise in four weeks nor do I pretend. I sweat by just standing outside, so I figured that is enough to balance out my two ice creams a day. Ahmedabad has the BEST ice cream. In fact, Ahmedabad is also know as the Ice Cream city.

One of my favorites is the Choco Tang from HavMoor. I tend to have this as my ice cream dessert after my ice cream appetizer (a smaller cup). It is: Orange Tang with choco crispy cereals and orange gummies, topped with whipped cream and hot fudge. Yes, it’s that good. It costs Rs. 60, about $1.20 or so.

Ice cream parlors and stands abound – HavMoor is a wonderful local one that serve the best flavors (why do I have their menu?), E-Scoops is terrific, and there is the Baskin Robbins as well. Best of all – they all DELIVER.

The flavors here are so unique and flavorful, and I wish they had more of this in the U.S. One of my favorites is Orange Tang (remember Tang commercials from the 80s?). I am a sucker for orange and cream, and Orange Tang just rocks (upper left). Other flavors more unique to India is the Kesar Pista (upper right) – saffron and pistachios – YUM – and the lychee (or litchee here) and caramel (bottom left). I’m drooling as I write this. On campus, they serve ice cream from a big box, so not as fancy, yet even the florescent pink concoction (bottom right, this photo doesn’t do it justice) is a terrific strawberry.

One of the best ice cream-ish treats in India, however, is kulfi, a special milk-based dessert that is not whipped, so it does not melt as quickly as ice cream, and is solid and dense, more like a custard. It is supreme. The Malai Kulfi is one of my favorites. It tastes like a super rich Godiva Dulce de Leche, but dare I say it, better?

I found a recipe online on this site by Tarla Dalal and just had to pass it along (recipe below can be found in her book):

MALAI KULFI

A fuss free, easy to make kulfi recipe. You won’t have to slave in the kitchen for hours to reduce the milk. The condensed milk and milk powder thicken it and gives it a delicious creamy consistency.

Preparation Time : 5 mins.
Cooking Time : 15 mins.

Makes 4 kulfis.
Ingredients
2½ cups (500 ml.) full fat milk
½ cup condensed milk
¼ cup milk powder
½ teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
Method

1. Combine all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Add the cardamom powder.

2. Simmer for 10 minutes till the mixture thickens. Cool completely.

3. Pour into 4 kulfi moulds and freeze overnight till firm.

4. To unmould, allow the moulds to remain outside the refrigerator for 5 minutes and then unmould by inserting a wooden skewer, stick or a fork, in the centre of the kulfi and pulling it out.

Tags: cultural, culture, dessert, food, ice cream, India, Indian, junk-food, recipe, snack

Category: South/Southeast Asia, Travel & Culture