5 Ingredient Pistachio Cardamom Kulfi is a flavorful, creamy, and super easy Indian frozen dessert.

I have a weakness for all things pistachio and cardamom, especially when they are combined together. Some of my favorites from the blog are Pistachio Muffins with Cardamom and Rose Jam, Sikarni, & Mango Cardamom Kefir Lassi.  Pistachios and cardamom are used pretty frequently in South-Asian desserts and while I am not a huge fan of many desi (it’s a loose term for the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and their diaspora) desserts, I do enjoy kulfi a lot. Kulfi, a frozen dessert often known as “Indian ice cream” has some similarities with ice cream but in my opinion, it deserves a separate category of it’s own.

Ice cream is a frozen dairy dessert made of milk, cream, sugar, and typically egg yolks but is optional. All the ingredients are cooked together into a rich custard, then churned at a high speed to incorporate air. The end result is smooth, light-textured, and creamy. According to the FDA, to be considered an ice cream, it must contain a minimum of 10 percent milk-fat by weight.

Kulfi on the other hand simply contains milk, cream, and sugar. It is always eggless and not churned like ice cream but has a creamier texture than ice cream. I came across this article on The Guardian that talks about how to make “the perfect kulfi” and methods from different chefs and food writers. The recipe I am sharing today is a simple – it has an equal ratio of heavy cream,  whole milk, and 1/2 the amount of sugar. You can multiply or half the recipe using the same ratio.

I can’t wait for you guys to give Pistachio Cardamom Kulfi a try. I hope you enjoy this short video and please subscribe to my youtube channel if you already haven’t.

Pistachio Cardamom Kulfi

makes about 10-2 oz kulfi popsicles

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachio, finely chopped +  2 tablespoon ground for garnish

• 2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

• Simmer heavy cream, whole milk, and sugar together in a medium sauce pan for

• dd pistachios and cardamom together to the sauce pan.

• Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to a room temperature.

• Pour about 2 oz into small cups [I used 3 oz bath cups].

• Partially freeze the mixture for about  an 1 hour and insert popsicle sticks into cups.

• Return the mix back to the freezer until completely frozen.

• Once frozen, you can store them in a ziplock back and enjoy it as needed.

• Unmold the pops and garnish with ground pistachio before serving.

Note:
I tried a vegan, dairy-free version using coconut milk and cashew milk together and the end result wasn’t as creamy as the original version. It was nevertheless delicious and I’d encourage my vegan, dairy-free friends to give it a try. I will need to tinker a little bit more with different dairy-free options and if I am 100% happy with the result, I will be sure to share with you guys.