Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors
Falooda
From the book
Buy From
Introduction from Anisa Karolia
This traditional, ultimate Indian drink has exciting layers of flavour and textures and is the beverage of choice on any iftar table at the end of a fasting day, or any day for that matter. It has a creamy flavour, delicately perfumed with rose, and a nice dollop of ice cream to make it extra cooling. It’s quite a major part of Middle Eastern and Indian culture, from the villages of the subcontinent to homes here in the UK! It looks so pretty and exotic in pink, don’t you think?
Ingredients
Method
For the falooda jelly, place the water, falooda powder and pink food colouring in a small saucepan on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Pour into a heatproof dish and leave to set until firm.
Soak the basil seeds in the water for 30 minutes – they will start to swell up. Drain through a tea strainer to remove excess water and set aside.
Pour the milk into a large saucepan on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the sugar and boil for 1 minute, stirring all the time so that the milk doesn’t stick to the pan and burn. Once boiled, cool and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Add the cream and ground cardamom to the chilled milk and whisk together. Grate the falooda jelly using a coarse grater.
Divide the rose syrup between 2 tall glasses and add the soaked vermicelli and basil seeds. Pour in the milk, which will change the colour to a subtle pink. Add 1 tablespoon of grated falooda jelly to each glass, then top with the ice cream and chopped nuts, and drizzle a little rose syrup on top to decorate.
TIP: Rose syrup can be quite sweet, so adjust the amount of sugar you add to the milk accordingly.
TIP: If you are short on time, you don’t have to boil the milk but it does give the falooda a richer, thicker and creamier taste.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
Our team will respond to any queries as soon as we can - this may take longer over weekends. You do not need to resubmit your comment.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.