We recently had dinner with friends at Departure – one of our favorite Portland restaurants. They offer a fantastic vegan menu, and we ordered several plates to share as a table, family style. Everything was amazing, and I left with the intent of recreating the dessert we shared – a pistachio cardamom kulfi.
Kulfi is a dense and creamy Indian dessert, similar to an ice cream. It is a perfect dessert presentation wise, as it takes longer to melt due to its consistency. I used one of my fun ice cube molds to make small square shaped kulfi – and now I really want to serve this to a large group of people!
When several of us were sharing our suggestions for the final letters of Meatless Monday A-Z, I was hoping W week would be walnuts, because I had an idea for my own take on kulfi that would be a great Vegan Valentines dessert as well.
Walnuts have many benefits – they are a great source of Omega-3, and rich in many minerals and phyto-chemicals. My notes from a recent class include walnuts, listing them as a potentially lowering risk of cancers, inflammation, heart disease, high blood pressure. A small handful of walnuts each day seems to do much good.
Traditional flavors of kulfi seem to include pistachios, cardamom, and saffron. These are all flavors I love, and I look forward to making more kulfi soon. I also have a few more unconventional ideas, as you probably could have guessed.
My Google search brought up a blog I love – Vegan Richa. She has a couple recipes for kulfi and many ideas for flavors – I used her pistachio almond kulfi as a guide.
Can I say? this is amazing.
strawberry walnut kulfi
adapted from Richa’s pistachio almond cardamom pepper kulfi
yields six 1 1/2 inch ice cream squares
dairy, egg, soy, and gluten free, vegan
3/4 cup raw walnuts
5 large fresh strawberries, stemmed/hulled
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2-3 tablespoons sugar, powdered
1/2 cup coconut milk (So Delicious carton)
In food processor or blender, blend walnuts to a coarse powder. Remove 1 tablespoon walnut powder, set aside. Add strawberries, cornstarch and sugar, blending to combine. Add coconut milk while blending, combine completely.
Pour mixture into a saucepan, cook over medium-low heat several minutes, stirring constantly. Add reserved 1 tablespoon walnut powder to thicken. Combine completely, remove from heat.
Pour into freezer-safe container(s), cover with foil or plastic wrap, freeze overnight.
Serve with fresh sliced strawberries and chopped walnuts.
Visit Heather to see more walnut recipes:
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve never heard of kulfi before. But this looks incredible. I absolutely adore strawberries. Perfect Valentine’s Day treat if you ask me
Hope you had a nice weekend.
yep – it is a perfect Valentines dessert – it is dense and so creamy good, but… not heavy, you know? Mmm. perfect.
Um, I’ve never heard of this, but I feel like I need it in my life!!! Growing up, we made a frozen dessert during the holidays that included cool whip, cherry juice, cherries and cream cheese. This looks like a much better and tastier version to me! YUM!
oh, but your dessert sounds amazing too
yes – I think you would really like kulfi – I will be making more and sharing, so I hope you try one!
I’ve never made my own, but I do love kulfi! I’d forgotten about it, actually. I’m thinking this with a drizzle of chocolate sauce would be a great Valentine’s treat for me and… errrr… myself.
I am pretty sure this was the first time I have had kulfi – the (Asian fusion) restaurant where I tried it is one we go to often, and we do these prix-fixe menus a lot – so I may have had the kulfi as dessert before and just not known it
I cannot wait to make another – cashew is next!!
Wow, I’ve never heard of kulfi before! (Maybe because by the time I’m done eating lunch at the Indian buffet, I’m way too full to even go look at the desserts…) Strawberry, walnut, & coconut sounds like a really interesting combination.
haa HAA – I think I said the same thing
never save room for dessert. I will now, though!
gosh.. yes to strawberries! dont you just love Kulfis:))
i love those ice cube mold.. so much easier than the usual kulfi molds and also a perfect serving size!
I loved the kulfi in these small squares – definitely doing that again! and yes, kulfi is my new favorite thing, I cannot wait to make other flavors!
That dessert is new to me, too, but it so cool in every way! Intrigued.
xo,
Shirley
I think you would really enjoy this, Shirley – and the flavor possibilities are vast! XO
I have never heard of this dessert before – I always learn new things from you. I will HAVE to make this…but I guess I should finish all the half-finished non-dairy ice creams in my freezer first. Pinning!
ha! I know what you mean. you’d think it would only happen in summertime, but I make my ice cream experiments all year long.
I’ve never heard of Kulfi before, but creamy ice cream-like dessert? Yes please! This sounds beyond delicious and the presentation would add such a wow factor to a dessert table!
xx Kait
absolutely, Kait! and like I said, since this is more dense, not whipped, it really holds its shape and does not melt fast – great presentation possibilities!
Honestly you are just amazing. I’ve never even heard of Kulfi before and now I have to make this. It doesn’t hurt that I literally have all the ingredients on hand either. I’m a huge fan of walnuts (gotta get my omegas) and eat some in my homemade granola almost everyday.
aw, thanks my friend! (I guess I needed to hear something like that today…
)
I hope you try this – it’s a bit unconventional as kulfi flavor goes, but we loved it – I hope you do too. I’m already looking forward to making more flavors, with pistachio, with cashew… Mmm!
I love that these are little squares, plus your presentation makes them that much more enticing! The recipe seems so simple too, I may just have to buy one of those ice cube trays.
Jackie these ice cube trays are SO fun, and perfect for these little desserts. Kulfi is SO GOOD, I cannot wait to make more flavors!
Oh YUM! I am in awe of how beautiful they are. Knowing me, I’d end up with ice cream globs. (And I would eat them anyway.)
but of course, because they would still be delicious…