Indian Pista Kulfi Dessert. Creamy Pistachio Almond Cardamom Popsicle. Non Dairy Ice Cream. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe. Jump to Recipe
Kulfi is a dense unwhipped ice cream from the Indian subcontinent. The age old way of making kulfi involved slow cooking whole milk till it reduced to half and very thick consistency, then freezing it in molds kept in a mixture of ice and salt in an earthenware(matka) for the soft frozen texture. No Ice-maker needed.
These Pista Kulfi popsicles are easily made vegan with nondairy milk and cream made of nuts like pistachios or cashews. Add flavors like cardamom or saffron.
Facebook has been changing newsfeeds again. You can also find me on Twitter, Pinterest, subscribe to the blog via feedburner or Email( right side bar), just in case Fb changes up things in the future.
Now to the Ice cream. Dairy is used in many many Indian desserts. Milk, thickened condensed milk,cream, butter, clarified butter (ghee), milk solids (khoya), milk powder and what not.
I mean seriously, I do not understand how thoughtlessly we have been using huge amounts of dairy since ages. It takes
– 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese
– 10-12 pounds of milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream
– 21 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of butter
– 28+ pounds of milk to make 1 pound of ghee(clarified butter)
Milk from the cow is for the calf to becomes a 1000 lb , slow moving, plant eating cow or bull. Thats totally not even the right kind of nutrition for humans.
This Ice cream however, is a dairy free, deliciously good Kulfi. With pistachios, almonds and almond milk, cardamom and pepper. You can change up the nuts, add flavors like mango or thick strawberry puree, rose essence, saffron strands, or even chocolate. Or add some candied ginger and coat it in some ginger snap crumbles. blisss . What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Recipe Card
Pistachio Almond Cardamom Popsicle - Pista Kulfi - vegan glutenfree
Indian Pista Kulfi Dessert. Creamy Pistachio Almond Cardamom Popsicle. Non Dairy Ice Cream. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 156kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons raw Pistachios
- 1 Tablespoon raw almonds
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) almond milk or other non dairy milk or make your own nut milk
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or any thickening starch or 1 Tablespoon ground cashew
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) cardamom powder
- a pinch of saffron optional
- 2-4 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) raw sugar powdered ( to taste)
For variations: Add a pinch of black pepper, or a Tablespoons of chopped dark chocolate, or a Tablespoon of ginger snap crumbs/crystallized ginger.
Instructions
- Grind the Pistachios and then the almonds into as fine a powder as possible.(some of it may become buttery, which is fine), or use pistachio or almond butter,
- In a blender, add the ground Pistachios and almonds, cornstarch, raw sugar, spices and Almond milk. Blend well until the mixture is well combined.
- Transfer mix to a pan and bring to just about a boil on low-medium heat, stirring almost constantly.
- Or microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds again(it should bubble slightly).
- The mixture will thicken at just about the boiling stage. Add a few tsp more nut flour(pistachio/almond or cashew) if you like it the kulfi mix to be really thick. If adding cashew flour, then bring to a boil.
- Take off heat. Let cool a bit. Taste and adjust sugar.
- Add in the cardamom, pepper/candied ginger is using, mix , then transfer to Popsicle, Kulfi, or ice cream molds or ramekins.
- Cover the open molds/ramekins with aluminium foil and let freeze overnight.
- Let the popsicles or molds sit out or dip in warm-hot water to take the frozen ice cream out.
- Serve as is, or in a parfait with fresh mango, pistachio, and ginger snap crumbs.
- Or drizzle some salted caramel or peppered sugar syrup.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Pistachio Almond Cardamom Popsicle - Pista Kulfi - vegan glutenfree
Amount Per Serving
Calories 156
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Sodium 81mg4%
Potassium 150mg4%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 45IU1%
Vitamin C 0.7mg1%
Calcium 100mg10%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Moni
Is there any substitute for cornstarch ?
Any flour ?
Moni
Hi Richa,
Really love all the vegan varieties.
Wanted to ask tablespoon measurements of nuts is after I powder it or whole nuts ?
Like do I need to use 3 tablespoon of raw pistachios (powdered) and 1 tablespoon raw almond (powdered) ?
Gentle Chikani
CAn I use almond flour instead of ground nuts? Or almond butter works better as you mentioned in the recipe?
Also if I just make it with almonds and no pistachio, will that work?
Richa
yes use just almonds. if you use almond butter use raw almond butter, most almond butters are roasted and will add a strong roasted flavor
Anjalee
Hi can I use date sugar instead of raw sugar?
Richa
yes
Anita Sharma
Richa, How do you make vegan kulfi without ice crystals forming in it?
Thanks!
Richa
you need enough fat in it and cook it a bit to thicken and it works well. Try this kesar kulfi. https://www.veganricha.com/2013/07/kesar-kulfi-indian-ice-cream-with.html
usual kulfis are also frozen at a higher temp than our freezers so thats why they dont form crystals. for our freezers, you want the mixture with more nut fat. Also let the kulfi sit out for 5 mins before serving so it softens to a more fudgy kulfi state
Anita Sharma
Thanks Richa. I have access to an ice cream maker so that should help too with the ice issue?
I will follow this recipe.
Richa
yes ice cream maker will definitely help as it adds air to the mixture.
Melanie
Richa,
I discovered your blog not too long ago and I fell in love with your delicious Indian recipes. I am a bit finnicky when it comes to sugar. Do you think I could I replace the raw sugar with maple syrup?
Thanks
Richa
Sure. You can use a combination of date sugar and maple or jaggery and maple. Maple is a strong flavor
Hye Mi
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! I tried Kulfi for the first time yesterday and I loved it very much, but unfortunately it wasn’t vegan. I’ll try this recipe tomorrow, I can’t wait.
Richa
Great! There are many kinds of kulfi. Try any one of them https://www.veganricha.com/?s=kulfi
Lex
I made a raw version of this and it was great, doubled the amount and added extra nuts instead of the thickener, didn’t boil it just straight to the freezer, was delish thanks 🙂
Richa
Awesome!
Shafali
How many servings does this recipe yield? I have a party of 20 I’m making it for.
Richa
it depends on the size of the molds. i usually make small popsicles and get 5 to 6. you will need to make 4 to 6 times.
Zora
I do not know if it’s just me or if everyone
else experiencing issues with your blog. It appears
as if some of the text within your posts are running off the screen.
Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them as well?
This might be a problem with my browser
because I’ve had this happen before. Cheers
Anonymous
Richa, I plan to make fruit salad with this recipe. So I can make custard and add some fruits. If I want to you use grounded cashews instead of corn starch, at what stage should I stop heating the mixture?
Thanks
Richa
At the same point, at just about starting to boil. Ground cashew will thicken the mixture to a loose custard. you can grind the raw cashews or any nuts with wheat or Oat flour. about a 1/4 cup flour with about a cup of cashews for a less buttery flour.
Anonymous
Hi I just found your blog and it is great! I also found that your recipe for this delicious kulfi is published on another website (https://curesinthekitchen.com/2012/vegan-cardamom-pistachio-kulfi/) but I see not citation of yours – just wanted to let you know! Thanks for all these great recipes!
Richa
Thank you for the heads up. I just sent them an email to remove it.
Mudra
hey richa it turned out great with soy milk too. great recipe definitely a keeper. thanks heaps for sharing :-):-)
Mudra
Hi Richa,
Gorgeous looking kulfi, well done on this.. Haven’t tried this but planning to do this very very soon. Can I substitute almond milk with Soy??? Please let me know
Thanks,
Mudra
Richa
yes you can substitute it with any non dairy milk. let me know how it turns out!:)
Junia
wow i love the pistachios and the almond milk here! what great flavors! i would totally eat this~ 😀 my sister tried making almond milk ice cream before but it wasn’t thick enough so it turned more like sorbet, but still good. 🙂 hope you are doing well! i can’t wait for my school year to end (next week!) so i can catch up on all of your posts….!!
Richa
Thanks Junia. This has ground pistachios and almonds, which also release a little fat when heated, and make the ice cream very soft. you can bite into it very easily. Take care and have a great week!
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Becky
Richa,
Your Pistachio Almond Cardamom Pepper Kulfi sounds so good with all of those wonderful flavors, and they are GF, besides. Sending lots of #icecreamlove your way!
Hannah
Mmm, so creamy and refreshing! Pistachios are such a treat all by themselves, too. I can’t believe how many stunning and creative ideas you submitted to this one contest- You are unstoppable in the kitchen!
Richa
i hit some bumps the last 2 weeks. i think i just need a short break to some sunny beach. i think my body is just missing some summer rejuvenation.
Hooney Macarooney
Ooh awesome. I love almond milk! And really should blog hop with you, such awesome recipes
Valerie
That sounds so exotic! I love it, it reminds me of Mauritius, I should try this ice cream, let’s see if I have time, there’s so many wonderful recipes in this bloghop I’d love to try!
Richgail @AstigVegan
Oh wow, thanks for dropping knowledge about the milk industry. Also, it’s great to have this recipe-no ice cream maker needed, perfect when I’m feeling less patient about my ice cream hehe. I would love to give this a try. And oh btw, I couldn’t believe it’s cold in Seattle right now at this time of year, wow!
Richa
Thanks RG. yes we got 70s last week and the weekend has been 50s meh. tell me about patience:) with all the nuts, you dont need to whip it. the popsicle is quite soft and also does get soft quite quickly .
Georgie
Oh my goodness, I’m in love with this ice cream! Blog hop is so great, I get introduced to so many cool new recipes and beautiful foods!
Georgie
Oh my goodness, I’m in love with this ice cream! I love blog hop – I get introduced to new and beautiful food and flavors.
EA-The Spicy RD
I love all these wonderful flavors here, plus crunchy pistachio nuts too. Delicious! I have never tried kulfi before, but I will definitely be making these yummy pops soon! Happy #icecreamlove !!!
The Wanderer
This is so amazing. I am a vegan and I always wonder what to serve as dessert during family dinners which will prove that we are not missing out on anything. Will try this out. Thank you.
Richa
Thank you so much. This is a very rich ice cream and you dont miss the dairy at all. I vegan-ized a bunch of my dad’s fave things when he visited last year and he loved all of them. Some of those are now a staple back home with mom picking up on the changes!.
Caitlin
you are truly gifted with combining out of the ordinary flavor combinations. these photos are absolutely gorgeous and the kulfi looks delicious.
Cindy
Yay for gluten free and vegan! Happy #icecreamlove FB just stinks sometimes with all the changes. URRGG
Cindy 🙂
Lizzy
Beautiful!!! Good luck with the giveaway…off to vote 🙂
Helena / Rico sin Azúcar
I want to try a pistachio ice-cream this summer, so this is on my list! 😉
Happy #icecreamlove, Richa!
www.you-made-that.com
Great gluten free vegan ice cream I was wondering how well almond milk worked in ice cream. I need to try this out thanks.
Spice up the Curry
awesome. kulfi looks so delicious. As usual nice recipe
I don’t know why facebook changes every time. it sucks.
Baker Street
The whole FB thing sucks! There’s nothing better than homemade kulfi. Your choice of flavors is just brilliant. pepper and cardamom! Mmmm….
Unknown
i LOVE this recipe! looks SO good!! thank you for sharing it! and mentioning all of the horrors involved with the dairy industry…. and i can completely relate to the frustration with the facebook pages! i used to get TONS of new people – sometimes 100 per day on my “my vegan journal” blog’s fb page – but since the new changes I think i’m only reaching about 20% and barely any new “likes” – it’s just crazy! and frustrating!
Richa
thanks for dropping by. Yes its crazy. they say that this algo was always working, but i think they made it very aggressive now. the timeline makes it difficult to cross share already.
anne
This is perfect for summer ! Very refreshing and gorgeous kulfi !
jacob
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen
I’ve never had kulfi before, but I’m ready to have some after seeing your recipe & the addition of pistachios! Thanks for sharing the Ice cream love!
glutenfreehappytummy.com
yum that looks SO good! and what an interesting combo of flavors! i’ll definitely join in on the ‘hop’ 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Richa
Thanks caralyn, i am waiting to see your creation!
Hannah
It’s been a rough few weeks on my end, too, so I understand and am sending you thoughts of jazziness and relaxation in the near future! Gorgeous recipe; I adore all things pistachio and cardamom 🙂
Richa
ahh.. thanks Hannah! i need that relaxation.
Torviewtoronto
this looks wonderful lovely picture
Kristy
Richa, these are some of the most gorgeous ice cream pics I’ve ever seen! I mean, they are just stunning! I have never had kulfi before so I can’t wait to give this a shot! Thank you!
Richa
thanks Kristy. Its a very nutty icecream:) let me know when you do!
Bobbie {the vegan crew}
What an intriguing flavor combination–I’ll have to give this a try sometime! And I love that it doesn’t require an ice cream maker! 🙂
Richa
yes, no ice cream maker needed!:) let me know when you do try!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies
Wow! I love all of these ingredients on their own, but together in kulfi? DROOL. This is perfect for summer!
I’m about ready to take down my Facebook page. When I changed the name of my blog, they wouldn’t let me change the name of my page (they told me it would confuse people–um, isn’t it more confusing to have a name that doesn’t match my blog?!). And now they want us to pay to have people to view what we post. Pfft. I gave up using my personal account, and my blog’s page might be next!
Richa
Thanks Kiersten! that is ridiculous. i tell ya.. fb thinks they know everything about us.. which is scary:) I would have done something similar but i have so many other activities there, connecting with so many rescues and charities and shelter animals. i will live with it till i cant take it anymore:)
Vegiegail
OMG, vegan pistachio cardamom kulfi? You’ve just made my ice cream dreams come true! Thank you, Richa! xoxo
Alpana
What an awesome treat Richa……Love it / will try it soon.
Richa
Thanks Alpana! Let me know when you do!:)
Gabby @ the veggie nook
What a great combination of flavours!
That sucks about Facebook…I don’t use it too often, but I hate that the bigger they get, the more adds and crap I see. I mean I guess it’s inevitable but still. No fair! I want to use it to keep in touch with friends and family sot be bombarded with stuff I didn’t ask to see- there’s a lot of other websites I can go to for that!
Also, sorry to hear you are in a funk! I am sending you love and hugs! If I could send you food I would, but I doubt it’d make the trip!
Oh, I got the cookbook from your auction! Love it 🙂 Will be so handy, especially when I start school again.
Richa
Thanks Gabby! thank you for the virtual hugs and food 😉
I just got Kathys book to review too! Lets compare notes:) Have a fun weekend!
dassana
arre.. when did you post this beautiful kulfi… am i the first person to comment.
i love kulfis and have been toying with the idea of making a vegan kulfi. but i think won’t happen as the rains might come here any time…
i know what facebook has done and it is all about money. the hubby always tells me not to use this social networking sites like fb and twitter for traffic.
learn SEO or its basics and get the traffic from google and other search engines. i have learnt a good lesson from fb.
my posts are not reaching people at all… also i don’t know how to make it reach to many people… it is ridiculous paying 5 or 10 dollars everytime for each post to go to maximum people…
Richa
thanks Dassana:) just posted it around 11:30.
I know i need to focus more on seo too.. but you know what. with all the G+ shenanigans and bing integrating with fb, we cannot get rid of social media.. its here to stay for a while before something else comes along.
Ma told me its 49 degrees C in Nagpur, so i think you ccan still make kulfis till you get hit by the rain:)
dassana
it is hot here. still goa is better. it is 33 degrees here. the ocean makes it very windy also. i will make the kulfi soon till we get rains.
i know we cannot get rid of social media. but they way they keep on changing their policies…
i will have to dig deeper in this facebook thing… will share with you if i find something 🙂