Mango kulfi with saffron sauce and pistachios

This decadent ice cream highlights summer with the Alphonso mangoes. Most importantly, it is absolutely delicious.

There are several stories about the history of rabdi, a thickened cream with sugar and saffron.

The first, rabri, was invented in Mathura, the land of Lord Krishna. The Yadavs, descendants of the Lord, are credited with creating the layered dessert, their creation inspired by their forefather’s love for milk-based products. The dish's important place in the area’s local culture is reflected in the story surrounding the curtains at the neighbouring Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari temple. The story goes that a Rajasthani princess would visit the temple daily with rabri as an offering to the Lord. Her love for him would cause tears, and she would look at him with deep love and respect. Mesmerised by her love for him, Bihariji followed her home one day. The temple, established by Tansen’s guru Swami Haridas, was frantic at seeing him missing, and a search began to bring him back to the temple. He was coerced back to the temple after much effort and a rabri offering. From that day, a curtain was placed between him and his devotees so that he wouldn't follow another loving devotee out of the temple.

The second story comes from Rajasthan, where around 166 years ago, a family earned fame in Jaipur. In 1857, Parmanand Jain, a wrestler, founded the Mahaveer Rabri Bhandar, where he sold sweet dishes. Before he started the shop, Jain worked as a cook in the royal kitchen. He also sold milk, curd and mawa on the side. Once, when Jai was slowly boiling milk, he accidentally reduced it in a way that he had made rabri. He invited his friends to taste it, who were all impressed with his creation. It soon became a mainstay for special occasions and royal feasts. That’s how the shop came to be. Today, the shop sources around 1,000 litres of milk every morning, which is boiled and stored without refrigeration, and then used to cook about 150 kgs of rabri daily. Source: Cadbury Dessert Corner.

Most history starts in the City of Mathura, and some credit Varanasi with making rabdi famous. Whatever the fascinating history, rabdi is a supreme dessert that is now common throughout India.

This rabdi is made the traditional way, by slow simmering milk till it is thick and coats the tongue like silk. The rabdi is mixed into the alphonso mango juice to give a thick, creamy texture, forming the base of the kulfi. The pistachios add texture and a nuttiness, and I really like the touch of honey and rum. This is probably my favourite mango ice cream, and I do not seem to be able to find anything close to this one. Serving the ice cream on a bed of rabdi is decadent and rich, but so, so good!

Rasika is a beautiful cookbook of contemporary Indian flavours. The chef has taken a variety of fabulous recipes and presented them in a modern setting, like this raita. I recommend this book to those who want something different on their table.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

For the saffron cream (Rabdi) 2 cups cream

3 cups full-fat milk

cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup sugar Pinch saffron

For the mango kulfi: 1 cup mango purée (Alphonso or Kesari mango preferred) 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional) Zested rind from 1 lemon

3/4 of the rabdi cream

1/4 cup salted pistachios (keep a few pieces for garnish)

To make the rabdi, add all ingredients for the rabdi together. Cook on a very low flame for 90-120 minutes until the cream has reduced in volume by half. You are looking for a thick cream that is sweet and tinged heavily with saffron. Allow to cool completely.

Mix the ingredients together to make the kulfi. Churn on the ice cream setting.

Ladle two tablespoons of the rabdi into a bowl. Add a scoop of ice cream and top with a few pistachio nuts.