Falooda is a special Indian sweet drink made with rose syrup and other traditional flavors. It is served as a dessert, and although it is not very well known in the West, it is easy to appreciate its flavor and texture similar to that of a smoothie or milkshake. Preparing the falooda is very simple; generally the hardest part is finding some ingredients, but most of the time they are on sale in most Asian food stores.
Ingrediants
Doses for 2 servings
- 360 ml of milk
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 2 teaspoons of basil seeds
- 2 tablespoons of rose syrup
- A handful of falooda sev (corn noodle)
- Chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)
- Rose petals to decorate (optional)
Steps
Step 1. Do your best to find the right ingredients
Milk, sugar and vanilla ice cream are available in any supermarket, but to find basil seeds, rose syrup and falooda sev you will need to go to a store that sells Asian foods (chances are you will be able to find them even if they don't specialize in Indian products). In any case, most of the ingredients are also available online, if there is no such shop where you live.
Falooda sev are typically Indian corn noodles, similar to tagliolini. You can buy them ready-made dry or prepare them from scratch; numerous recipes are available on the web
Step 2. Soak the basil seeds
Pour them into a cup and cover them with 2-3 cm of water. Stir once, then soak them for 30 minutes. When finished, drain them using a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
While the basil seeds are soaking, you can proceed with the next steps
Step 3. Heat the milk and sugar
Pour the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring the milk to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. At this point, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes. When the milk has thickened, pour it into a separate container and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
Step 4. Prepare the falooda sev
Follow the directions on the package for the best possible result. If you made them by hand or if the wrapper does not have cooking instructions, do the following:
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Add the tagliolini and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Drain them, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Cut the falooda sev into small pieces using a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors.
Step 5. Layer the ingredients in the glasses
Grab two tall, decorated ice cream sundaes to serve your fabulous dessert in. Arrange the ingredients in each glass in the following order (use half of each ingredient for each glass):
- Basil seeds;
- Falooda sev;
- Rose syrup;
- Milk (basil seeds or falooda sev may come to the surface at this point, this is normal).
Step 6. Complete the dessert by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass
If you want, you can mix with a teaspoon to dissolve and blend it with the other ingredients, but it is not necessary. If you prefer to leave the ball whole, soak it at least once in the milk so that it gets some flavor from the rose syrup.
Step 7. If desired, add a decoration before serving the falooda
At this point it is ready to drink or eat, but you can add a handful of chopped pistachios and rose petals to surprise the sight as well as the taste.
Serve the falooda immediately. Do not wait any longer to enjoy it and remember that it is not suitable for keeping in the refrigerator
Part 1 of 1: Possible Variations
Step 1. Try changing the flavor of the ice cream
Delicate and creamy, vanilla flavored ice cream is almost perfect paired with the rose syrup in falooda, but it's not the only choice available. Other sweet and delicate flavors, such as strawberry, raspberry, and pistachio, are also an interesting option. Some people may even enjoy pairing with chocolate ice cream.
Strong flavors, such as lemon ice cream, are best avoided as they may cover the rose syrup
Step 2. Try adding chopped dried and dehydrated fruit
Pistachios and rose petals aren't the only ingredients you can use to decorate falooda. Most nuts and dried fruit can make a delicious decoration. For example, raisins and chopped almonds are a good option, the same goes for dried berries.
Step 3. Try adding fresh fruit
One of the many positives of this dessert is that you just need to combine a few pieces of your favorite fruit, before the scoop of ice cream, to give it a new interpretation. Mango, strawberries and other sweet fruits are the best choice. On the other hand, sour fruits, such as lemon, do not go well with the creaminess of the other ingredients.
Step 4. Try making a smoothie version of Falooda if you're short on time
If you've enjoyed the taste of this dessert, but don't have the time to arrange the ingredients neatly, layer by layer, simply pour them into the blender and turn it on at short intervals to blend. Once ready, pour the smoothie into a bottle if you want to take it with you. You can also add ice cubes to the blender for an even creamier drink without compromising the taste.
While storing the smoothie in the refrigerator you may notice that the ingredients tend to separate, but don't worry it's safe to drink
Advice
- Another excellent idea for garnishing falooda is to use whipped cream.
- Preparing falooda in company is even more fun. Each diner can form layers of their own dessert. Those who have never tasted it before will certainly be interested in participating.
