🍨 Kulfi
Also known as: malai kulfi
Frozen dessert of the Indian subcontinent: milk with sugar is boiled down by half, cream and nuts are added, and it is frozen in moulds.
Kulfi is a frozen milk dessert from India and neighbouring countries, which FAO calls an indigenous milk-based “ice cream”. It is popular in the hot summer and is frozen in small containers. A 2022 paper in the Journal of Food Science and Technology lists it among the most popular Indian sweets and desserts, alongside gulab jamun and barfi.
FAO describes the traditional method like this. A mixture of milk and sugar is boiled down to 50% of its volume and cooled, then cooled cream, crushed nuts and flavourings are added. The mixture is poured into moulds and frozen in a vessel of ice and salt mixed 1:1. For comparison, to make khoa the milk is concentrated about fivefold.
The Indian standard cited by FAO sets minimum requirements: plain kulfi has at least 35% total solids, 8% milk fat, 3.5% protein and 13% sucrose; fruit, nut or chocolate kulfi has at least 30% solids and 6% fat. The phosphatase test and the test for starch in the mix must both be negative.
Kulfi or ice cream? FAO calls kulfi an indigenous Indian ice cream, so the two are relatives, but the process sets kulfi apart: milk with sugar is first boiled down to half its volume, then cooled cream, nuts and flavourings are added and the mixture is frozen in moulds in a vessel of ice and salt. Searches also set kulfi against gelato; here the comparison is by method, not by numbers. Khoa is a different product again, made by concentrating milk about fivefold. Under the Indian standard plain kulfi has at least 8% milk fat, so it is a rich dessert.
Kulfi is sold frozen, so look in the freezer cabinet of an Indian or Asian grocery or a larger supermarket. The pack usually says “kulfi”, often with a flavour such as mango or pistachio, and may also carry the words “ice cream”. Check the ingredient list: milk, cream, sugar and nuts should come first. Fruit, nut and chocolate versions are a separate group in the Indian standard. Keep it in the freezer until serving.
Why it matters to you. Kulfi is a dessert, not a light ice cream: the standard requires plain kulfi to contain at least 8% milk fat and 13% sucrose. It is kept frozen.
How it connects to milk
🍨 Kulfi → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk, 🥛 Buffalo milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Condensing, ❄️ Freezing
- Where it is stored or sold
- ❄️ Freezer
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat, 🍬 Sugar
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 South Asia
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Indians
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🍦 Dairy desserts
- Similar and different
- 🍦 Ice cream, ⚪ Rasgulla, 🍬 Khoa
Frequently asked questions
Is kulfi a kind of ice cream?
FAO calls kulfi an indigenous Indian milk-based ice cream, so they are relatives, but the method differs: the milk is first boiled down, then frozen in moulds.
Is it true that kulfi is a light ice cream?
No. It is a rich dessert: the Indian standard requires plain kulfi to contain at least 8 % milk fat and 13 % sucrose.
How was kulfi frozen without a refrigerator?
In moulds set in a vessel of ice and salt mixed 1:1.
Where can you buy kulfi in the UK or US?
From the freezer cabinet of an Indian or Asian grocery or a larger supermarket; the pack says “kulfi”, often with a flavour such as mango or pistachio.
Do fruit or nut kulfi follow the same rules?
No. Fruit, nut and chocolate kulfi are a separate group in the Indian standard, with lower minimums.
What to read next
- 🌍 South Asia — The Indian subcontinent between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean: a third of the world's milk, buffaloes and zebu, ghee, dahi, chhena.
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Indians — The people of India in South Asia, the world’s largest milk producer; dahi, ghee and paneer are everyday foods, and a mixture of milk, yoghurt and ghee is offered to the gods in Hindu rituals.
- 🔄 Condensing — Evaporating part of the water from milk: with sugar it gives sweetened condensed milk, without sugar evaporated milk.
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
Similar
⚪ Rasgulla · 🍮 Shrikhand · 🍬 Khoa · 🍮 Double skin milk · 🧈 Ghee · 🍦 Ice cream
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO. The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries (1990), ch. 8.4 (kulfi, khoa, dulce de leche)
- Impact of Stevia rebaudiana substitution on selected Indian desserts (incl. kulfi). Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2022