This is a proper churned, custard-based ice cream — a genuinely different technique and texture from Kulfi, which is dense and unchurned, typically frozen in molds without an ice cream maker. The egg-based custard here gives a lighter, airier, creamier result, closer to what you'd expect from a Western-style ice cream, just with saffron and cardamom in place of vanilla.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 8-10 strands Kashmiri Mongra saffron
- 2 tablespoons warm milk, for the saffron infusion
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Warm the milk and soak the saffron strands in it for about 10 minutes.
- In a saucepan, heat the cream and milk together until just steaming — not boiling.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly pour the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly — this tempers the eggs so they don't scramble from the sudden heat.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5-8 minutes. Keep it below a boil the whole time.
- Remove from heat, stir in the saffron infusion and cardamom powder, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg.
- Chill the custard completely — at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to its instructions, adding the pistachios in the last few minutes of churning.
- Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
Tips for Best Results
Cooking the custard too fast or too hot is the most common way this goes wrong — low heat and constant stirring is worth the patience, since scrambled egg bits are hard to fully strain out and affect the final texture. A fully chilled custard churns much better than a warm one, so don't skip the chilling time.
Serving Suggestions
Serve on its own, or alongside a warm dessert like gulab jamun or a saffron cake slice for a hot-cold contrast.
Storage
Keeps in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping, since it freezes harder than store-bought ice cream due to the lack of stabilizers.
