Noodles, rose syrup and reduced milk Falooda is a refreshing, cold dessert which was originally a Persian invention, made by chilling and freezing noodles, rose syrup and lemon. The Mughals, who were heavily influenced by the Persians, brought this recipe to India and made it in a much richer base. While later evolutions of the dish added ice cream, the quintessential aspects of Indian falooda remain: basil seeds, also called tukmaria, sabja or falooda seeds, as well as the noodles, milk and rose syrup. Often, rabdi – an Indian dessert made from reduced milk – and nuts are added, as.well as kul., with a cherry on top! I am sharing a version that I imagine would have been made in the olden days.
Recipe from The Food of Bharat: A Chef's Journey through India's Rich Culinary History by Bhartiya Bhojan.
Ingredients
1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) full-cream (whole) milk, at room temperature
55 g (2 oz/. cup) sugar, plus 3 extra tablespoons
45 g (1 .5oz) falooda sev (dried cornflour noodles; see Notes)
45 ml (1.5 fl oz) rose syrup (see Note)
2–3 tablespoons falooda seeds (basil seeds; see Note), soaked in 250 ml (8oz fl oz/1 cup) water for 1 hour, then drained
200 g (7 oz) chopped fruit of your choice (banana or pineapple work well)
30 g (1 oz) cashew nuts (optional)
1 tablespoon pistachio nuts (optional)
Crushed ice, to serve
1 stick Sitaphal kulfi, chopped
Method
Place the milk in a pot and bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Collect the milk skin that forms on the top with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Continue to repeat the process of allowing the milk skin to form and collecting it until the milk has reduced to 150–200 ml (5–7 oz). This process can take up to 1 hour.
Once the milk has reduced, add the milk skin back in, turn on the heat and add the sugar. This is your rabdi. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat and cook the falooda sev until soft. Drain and cool under cold running water.
To serve, place 1–2 tablespoons rose syrup in two tall glasses. Divide the falooda sev between them, then add the drained falooda seeds.
Next, add 75 g (2. oz) rabdi to each glass.
Add the remaining milk and garnish with the fruit and nuts, if using, and then top with crushed ice.
The kulfi can be added too for extra richness, if you like.
Notes
Falooda seeds (basil seeds) and rose syrup can be found at Indian grocers.
Falooda sev are dried noodles made from cornflour, and they too can be found at Indian grocers.