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Anjeer kulfi
Fig ice cream
अंजीर कुल्फी: dense kulfi of reduced milk with dried figs, half puréed and half chopped, studded with almonds and pistachios (plus 8 hours freezing)
Dried figs from Afghanistan have been sold in the dry-fruit markets of Delhi's Khari Baoli and Amritsar for centuries, and anjeer kulfi is how North Indian halwais show them off in winter-wedding dessert spreads and Diwali parties. The figs bring natural sweetness, a jammy colour and a gentle crunch of tiny seeds, so less sugar goes in than in plain kulfi. Puréeing half the figs flavours every bite while the chopped half gives chewy pieces. It's lovely after a rich dinner or with a cup of masala chai. A common mistake is skipping the soak: hard dried figs stay leathery and grate on the blades. Soak them in warm milk until plump. Chef's tip: let the reduced milk cool to just warm before adding the fig paste; added while boiling, figs can make the milk look grainy.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the figs
- 3 ½ oz dried figs (anjeer)about 8, stalks trimmed
- ½ cup warm milk
For the kulfi
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 1 ⅜ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ oz almondschopped
- ½ oz pistachioschopped
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Chop 3 ½ oz dried figs (anjeer) roughly and soak in ½ cup warm milk for 30 minutes until soft and plump.
30 minStep 2: Meanwhile bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to a boil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat, stirring.
8 minStep 3: Simmer on low heat, stirring every few minutes and scraping the sides, until it has reduced to about 400 ml.
35 minStep 4: Stir in 1 ⅜ oz sugar until dissolved, take off the heat and cool to just warm.
10 minStep 5: Blend half the soaked figs with their milk to a thick paste; finely chop the other half.
2 minStep 6: Stir the fig paste, chopped figs, ½ tsp ground green cardamom, ½ oz almonds and ½ oz pistachios into the reduced milk.
1 minStep 7: Pour into moulds, cover and freeze for at least 8 hours. Unmould by dipping briefly in warm water and serve at once.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does anjeer kulfi take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 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 warm milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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