Authentic Kulfi Recipe (Kulfi Ice Cream)

Make authentic Indian Kulfi at home with full fat milk, sugar, ground cardamom and pistachios. For most people growing up in India, it invokes happy childhood memories. Memories of either waiting impatiently for the roadside kulfiwallah to pull out frozen sticks from their cart, or waiting for mom to remove homemade Kulfi ice cream from the fridge.

But that was in the past, now you won’t find kulfiwallah knocking your door, since this has been commercialized in a big way and Kulfi is sold by popular brands in every grocery store & supermarket. However all these commercial stuff are loaded with preservatives, colors and stabilizers. Moreover these don’t taste real!

What is Kulfi?

Kulfi is a frozen dessert made with pure full fat milk, sugar and a flavoring ingredient like cardamoms or saffron. Sometimes cream (malai), chopped nuts or fruit purees are also added to it for flavor and richness. While kulfi was perfected in the Indian subcontinent, it is said to be influenced by Persian frozen desserts and introduced in the 16th century by the Moghuls.

Some consider it the Indian ice cream, it is closer to the British sherbet or a creamiscle (Popsicle with milk or cream). Ice creams are whipped or churned, so they tend to be airy and also have a higher fat content with the addition of cream and eggs.

Kulfi, on the other hand, is denser and thicker as it is made by slow cooking milk on the stove top until it has reduced and thickened. If frozen too long, there will be some crystallization as there are no commercial stabilizers in this dessert. But kulfi doesn’t melt as fast as ice cream.

While creamy ice-creams dominate the frozen dessert section, kulfi will never lose its charm. You’ll find it served in Indian restaurants across the world. As a treat, it is enjoyed by adults and kids, and makes for a healthier dessert (if there is such a thing) compared to cream & egg-based ice creams.

Traditional way of making kulfi does take a lot of time like this Rabri since the milk has to simmer for hours to reduce and thicken. This kulfi recipe does save a lot of time as it uses little fresh cream and corn starch to thicken the mixture quickly, without compromising on the richness.

This recipe yields delicious and creamy kulfi ice cream without the flavor of starch. Cornstarch (corn flour) also stabilizes & minimizes the ice crystals.

Expert Tips

• To omit corn starch from the recipe, substitute it with 1 cup full fat milk and increase the cook time bu 15 to 20 mins more. (So omit cornstarch, use totally 4 cups milk instead of 3)
• Undercooking the kulfi mixture can leaves large ice crystals. So cook it well until it reaches a thick and creamy stage.
• Adding more corn starch can leave a starchy flavor to your kulfi. We add it just to prevent the kulfi getting icy. Also it cut shorts the cook time. You can also add custard powder in place of corn starch.
• I love my steel cups for freezing this. If you want you can buy kulfi molds online or use any popsicle molds or disposable cups. The Kulfi molds all I have found are made of aluminum but steel ones too work great.
• If you want to make the authentic kulfi, make this Rabri and pour it in the molds to set.

For more similar recipes, You can check
Gulab Jamun
Rasmalai
Mango kulfi
Falooda
Pista Ice cream
Basundi

Photo Guide

How to make Kulfi (Stepwise photos)

This recipe makes only 4 servings / kulfis, each of 90 ml. I use 90 ml stainless steel cups. You can use any cups of any size but note that this will yield only 1½ cups rabdi (360 ml).

Boil milk

1. On a medium heat, bring 2 cups whole milk /full fat milk to a boil in a heavy bottom pot.

2. Reduce the heat slightly and boil for 10 to 11 min on a medium heat , stirring often. This way the milk solids won’t get scorched at the bottom.

3. Add 4 tablespoons organic sugar and mix well to dissolve it. If you want to make other variations which I shared below, consider reducing the quantity of sugar.

4. Keep stirring and boil for another 10 minutes on a low to medium heat. Meanwhile add 2 teaspoons corn starch (corn flour) to one cup milk and dissolve it completely. Make sure there are no lumps. If you don’t want to use corn starch, substitute with 1 more cup milk and cook for another 15 to 20 mins more, than mentioned in the instructions below.

5. Lower the flame completely and pour the corn starch slurry/ mixture.

6. Begin to stir it immediately and continue to boil. Keep stirring often to prevent milk at the bottom getting scorched.

7. Meanwhile add 15 pistachios (or any other nuts like cashews or almonds) and 1 pinch saffron (optional) to a grinder jar. Make a fine or coarse powder to suit your liking. If you don’t like small bits of nuts in your kulfi, make a fine powder.

Simmer the Mixture

8. Add the ground nut /pista powder along with ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder. Mix well and make sure there are no lumps.

9. Pour ¼ cup cream. I used cream just to achieve the thick & rich consistency quickly. You can also skip it and cook for a little longer. You can also whisk ¼ cup homemade malai/ cream which you get after boiling milk. It has to be at room temperature and whisk it with a fork and add. Any kind of cream works here.

10. Keep stirring and cook the kulfi mixture further. Under 6 to 8 mins it reaches a thick consistency as seen in the picture. Switch off and cool completely. The mixture thickens further upon cooling. If you under cook the mixture, ice crystals may form, so it has to be cooked until it is thick and of pouring consistency. (check video for right consistency). Taste test this to ensure there is no starch flavor, actually you won’t taste the starch.

Set Malai Kulfi in moulds

11. Fill the moulds as desired. You can also use popsicle moulds. I do not prefer plastic moulds so I use steel cups. Cover the moulds with foil and gently insert ice cream sticks. Freeze until kulfi is set. It may take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours depending on your fridge.

12. Rub the moulds in between your palms and demould the kulfi gently. You can leave it at room temperature for 2 to 3 mins so it comes out easily.

Sprinkle chopped pistachios and serve kulfi immediately.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

This recipe was first published in April 2017. Updated in August 2026.