Kulfi is a dense, creamy frozen dessert from South Asia. It's made by slowly simmering milk until it reduces and thickens, sweetening it, flavoring it with ingredients like cardamom, saffron and pistachio, and then freezing it in molds, traditionally without churning. With so little air in it, kulfi is richer, firmer and slower to melt than ice cream, and it has a gentle cooked-milk sweetness that's all its own.
Kulfi is probably the frozen dessert we get asked about most, and it's the signature of our lineup at Elaka. Our founder, Shafna Shamsuddin, grew up in Kerala, India, and Elaka takes its name from elakka, the Malayalam word for cardamom, which happens to be kulfi's best friend. Here's everything you might want to know about it: where it came from, how it's made, how it differs from ice cream, which flavors to try and where to buy it.
Where kulfi comes from
Most food historians trace kulfi to North India in the 16th century, during the Mughal Empire. Indian cooks were already making sweets from thickened, cooked-down milk, and the Mughal court is credited with freezing that milk into a dessert, flavored with pistachio and saffron and packed into metal cones. The cones were set in a slurry of ice and salt to freeze.
Freezing anything in the Indian summer took real effort. The Ain-i-Akbari, a record of Emperor Akbar's court written by his minister Abu'l Fazl, describes saltpeter being used to chill water and ice being carried down from the Himalayas. Food writers often link those records to early kulfi, though the text doesn't give us a kulfi recipe.
The name is usually traced to a Persian word for a covered cup, after the lidded molds the dessert was frozen in. Some historians, including Charmaine O'Brien, suggest the idea may have first developed in Persia or Central Asia before the Mughals refined it. Either way, kulfi has been beloved across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the wider South Asian world for centuries, and it's still sold from street carts, sweet shops and restaurants all over the region.
How kulfi is made
Traditional kulfi is mostly about patience.
- Reduce the milk. Whole milk simmers over low heat for a long time, stirred often, until it has cooked down to a fraction of its volume. The skin of cream (malai) that forms on top gets stirred back in.
- Sweeten and flavor. Sugar goes in, along with cardamom, saffron, chopped nuts, fruit pulp or rose water.
- Fill the molds. The thick mixture is poured into conical metal molds or small clay pots called matkas. Clay-pot kulfi is often sold as matka kulfi.
- Freeze it still. No churning. The kulfi freezes solid, then gets unmolded and sliced, or eaten straight from the pot.
Lots of home recipes skip the long simmer and start with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk or cream. Those shortcuts can be delicious, but they don't develop quite the same toasty, caramelized depth as milk that's been cooking for an hour or more.
Kulfi vs ice cream: what's the difference?
They're both frozen and creamy, but they're built differently.
- Churning and air. Ice cream is churned while it freezes, which whips in air and makes it light and scoopable. Traditional kulfi isn't churned at all, so it's dense and almost fudgy.
- The base. Ice cream usually starts with cream and milk, and often egg yolks. Kulfi starts with milk that's been reduced, and it's traditionally eggless.
- Flavor. The long simmer gives kulfi a cooked-milk, lightly caramelized flavor that plain ice cream doesn't have.
- Melting. Kulfi melts more slowly, which is very useful in a hot climate.
- Serving. Ice cream is scooped. Kulfi is usually unmolded, sliced or served on a stick.
If you're curious how kulfi stacks up against gelato and sorbet too, read our full guide to sorbet vs gelato vs ice cream vs kulfi.
Popular kulfi flavors
Malai kulfi
Malai kulfi is the purest form: reduced milk and cream, usually with a little cardamom. Malai is the layer of cream that forms on simmering milk, and it gives this version its rich, slightly caramel flavor. If you've never had kulfi, start here.
Pistachio kulfi
Pistachio kulfi (pista kulfi) adds ground or chopped pistachios to the base. It's often paired with saffron, and you get a little crunch in every bite. It might be the most iconic kulfi flavor of all.
Kesar (saffron) kulfi
Saffron turns the kulfi a pale gold and gives it a floral, honeyed aroma. Kesar pista, saffron with pistachio, is a classic pairing and a close cousin of the original Mughal-court flavors.
Mango kulfi
Mango kulfi folds ripe mango pulp into the milk base. In India, cooks often swear by Alphonso mangoes for it, and in Pakistan, Chaunsa and Sindhri mangoes are favorites. A few shops in Old Delhi take it further and freeze the kulfi inside a hollowed-out whole mango.
Other flavors to try
You'll also find rose, almond, chocolate and fruit kulfis, plus kulfi falooda, where slices of kulfi are served with falooda noodles, rose syrup and soaked basil seeds. It's dessert and a cold drink all at once.
Our Kulfi
Elaka's Kulfi is made with milk, cardamom, saffron and pistachios, so it sits right in that kesar pista tradition. It's gluten-free and contains nuts.
We'll be upfront about one thing: traditional kulfi isn't churned, and ours is. We churn our Kulfi so it's a little smoother and easier to spoon, while keeping the saffron, cardamom and pistachio flavors that make kulfi kulfi. We think it's the best version of this frozen dessert you can get, without a doubt, and we'd love for you to taste it and decide for yourself.
Kulfi also turns up in two of our curated packs:
- Kerala Roots: Kulfi with Plantain, Jinn's Peanut Unda and Vanilla Milk, the flavors closest to where Elaka began.
- Midnight Cravings: Kulfi with Vanilla Milk, Rose and Strawberry Hot Chocolate, for when a craving hits.
If you love the floral side of kulfi, try our Rose next. For the cardamom-and-tea side, there's Sulaimani Sorbet.
Where to buy kulfi
Kulfi is easier to find in the US than it used to be. Good places to look:
- Indian and Pakistani grocery stores. Check the freezer case for kulfi bars, cones and cups.
- South Asian restaurants and sweet shops. Many make their own kulfi in-house, and those are often the best.
- Your own kitchen. All you need is milk, sugar, patience and something to freeze it in.
- Online. You can order our Kulfi 4-pack. It ships frozen on dry ice, and you can read how shipping works.
If you're in or near Greensboro, North Carolina, come find us in person at one of our pop-ups and events. Run a café, restaurant or shop and want kulfi on your menu? Check out wholesale.
Want to see how kulfi fits into the bigger picture? Our guide to 15 frozen desserts from around the world covers its cousins, from Persian bastani to Turkish dondurma.
Frequently asked questions
Is kulfi the same as ice cream?
Not quite. Kulfi is made from milk that's simmered until it reduces, then frozen without churning, so it's denser, creamier and slower to melt than ice cream. Ice cream is churned as it freezes, which whips in air and makes it lighter.
Does kulfi have eggs?
Traditional kulfi is eggless. Its richness comes from reduced milk rather than egg yolks. Store-bought and restaurant versions vary, so check the label if you avoid eggs.
What does kulfi taste like?
Kulfi tastes like sweet, slightly caramelized milk, with flavors such as cardamom, saffron, pistachio, rose or mango layered on top. The texture is dense and smooth, closer to frozen custard or fudge than to fluffy ice cream.
Is kulfi gluten-free?
Traditional kulfi made from milk, sugar, nuts and spices is naturally gluten-free, but commercial versions can include other ingredients, so always check the label. Elaka's Kulfi is gluten-free and contains nuts.
Where can I buy kulfi online?
You can order Elaka's Kulfi as a 4-pack from our shop. It ships frozen on dry ice. Indian grocery stores and South Asian restaurants near you are also good places to look.
Ready to taste the frozen dessert South Asia has loved for centuries? Grab a Kulfi 4-pack, share it around the table, and start making memories today.
