Rose and pistachio ice cream (Shir yakheh gulab)

Ice cream is a favourite in Afghanistan during summer and helps the mountain folks cool down from the heat. Small shops called "shir yakh" sell ice cream; according to the author, these are bright with decorations and blasting Bollywood music. These stalls are hard to miss and usually have a line of folks waiting to be served, especially during summer.

This ice cream flirts with Indian flavours but is also core to the local flavours. The rose aromas rise on your palate delicately, and the nuts add both an earthiness and texture. I like to top this ice cream up with a few drops of Rooh Afza rose syrup for a bolder pop of rose.

Durkhanai Ayubi tells her story of fleeing war-torn Afghanistan through recipes and stories in this cookbook. She runs two restaurants in Adelaide, is a freelance writer, and is a fellow of the Atlantic Institute. Through this book, she describes how new ideologies, such as Soviet-inspired communism and Islamic extremism, informed movements that challenged Afghan culture and traditions and led to the large-scale displacement of Afghans, including many members of her own family. This cookbook is filled with wonderful recipes that are delicious and they do stave my craving for great Afghan cuisine.

For more delicious recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

3 cups cream

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Sugar, as needed

2 1-inch pandan leaf pieces

3/4-1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

1/2 teaspoon mastic, pounded to a powder

1 teaspoon salep powder

3/4-1 teaspoon rose water

3/4 cup pistachios, roasted and chopped + to garnish

Heat the cream with the condensed milk, pandan leaves, and cardamom until warm. Gently sprinkle in the mastic followed by the salep while stirring continually. Heat the cream on a medium-low flame for 3-4 minutes until it thickens to a custard. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve. Taste for sugar and add more if needed. The ice cream needs to be sweet but not overpowering. Mix in the nuts and cool completely.

Mix in the rose water and taste. There should be a lovely balance between the pandanus and rose flavours.

Churn on the ice cream setting.

Serve garnished with edible rose petals and pistachios.