Falooda is a traditional Indian dessert in the form of a sweet drink flavored with rose syrup and other flavors. Although this drink is not very well known in western countries, falooda has a taste that is easy to adapt to foreign tastes, and has a thickness that is almost the same as a milkshake or smoothie. Making falooda is relatively easy -- for some people, the hardest thing is finding a few ingredients to make falooda, even though most Indian or South Asian grocery stores sell them.
Ingredients
Served for two servings.
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 2 tsp basil seeds
- 2 tsp rose syrup
- A handful of falooda sev
- Pistachio nuts for garnish (optional)
- Rose petals for decoration (optional)
Step
Step 1. Find the ingredients in an Indian grocery store
Milk, sugar, and ice cream are readily available in most supermarkets, but basil seeds, rose syrup, and falooda sev are usually a little hard to find. For these ingredients, you will need to visit an Indian or South Asian grocery store. You can also find them at non-Indian specialty grocery stores. Most of these groceries are also available to order online if you don't have a grocery store near you.
Falooda sev is a type of Indian noodle that is similar to vermicelli. You can buy dry falooda or make your own from scratch. A good sev falooda recipe is available here
Step 2. Soak the basil seeds
In a cup, flush the basil seeds with 2.5 cm of water. Stir occasionally, then let soak for 30 minutes. After soaking, dry in a fine sieve and set aside.
While waiting for the seeds to submerge, you are free to move on to the next step
Step 3. Heat the milk and sugar
Pour the two ingredients into a medium saucepan and simmer briefly, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour the thicker milk into a separate container and chill in the refrigerator.
Step 4. Create a falooda sev
Follow the directions on the package for best results. If you made your own falooda sev or your packaging doesn't provide instructions, follow these steps:
- Boil water in a small saucepan.
- Add falooda sev and cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Dry the falooda in a colander, soak in cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Use a knife or scissors to cut the noodles into small pieces.
Step 5. Arrange the falooda ingredients in a glass
Take two decorative tall glasses to serve your drink. Add the ingredients to each glass in the following order (use half of each ingredient per cup):
- Basil seeds
- Cooked falooda sev
- rose syrup
- Milk; it's okay if basil seeds or falooda sev float to the top at this stage.
Step 6. Place a spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top of each glass
If you want, you can mix ice cream into your drink to dissolve it, but you don't have to. If you don't want to mix the ice cream, dip it in the milk at least once to give it a rose flavour.
Step 7. Optionally, garnish the drink before serving
The falooda is ready to drink at this stage. If you'd like, you can add a handful of chopped pistachio nuts and rose petals to the top of the drink as a garnish, although that's not really necessary.
Serve the falooda immediately. If you're not going to drink it right away, let it sit or store the falooda in the refrigerator. Enjoy
Method 1 of 1: Optional Serving Instructions
Step 1. Try adding different flavors of ice cream
With its delicate taste, vanilla ice cream goes well with rose syrup, but it's not the only option available. Other sweet and creamy flavors of ice cream such as strawberry, raspberry, and pistachio can also be an interesting choice. Some people even enjoy it with a chocolate ice cream flavor.
Avoid ice cream with a "crispy" flavor (like citrus), which can overpower the rose flavor in the drink
Step 2. Try adding a sprinkling of nuts and dried fruit
Pistachios and rose petals aren't the only ingredients you can use for garnish. Most nuts and dried fruit taste delicious when sprinkled on top of a delicious falooda drink. For example, golden raisins and almond chunks can be good choices. You can also use craisin and dried berries.
Step 3. Try using fresh fruit
The nice thing about making falooda is that you only need a slice or two of your favorite fruit in your drink before adding ice cream to create a new creation. Mangoes, strawberries, and other sweet fruits can be the best choice. However, sour fruits like oranges don't quite match the delicate flavors that other ingredients have.
Step 4. Try making falooda with smoothie flavors
If you love falooda but don't have time to sort the ingredients, you can simply put all the ingredients in a blender and mash them to make a smoothie. Pour a smoothie into a bottle and you've got a portable falooda drink. You can even add ice cubes to the blender to make a smoothie that has a slushie texture without affecting the taste.
Smoothies may separate if you store them in the refrigerator, but they are safe to drink
Tips
- Another excellent idea is to add whipped cream on top of the ice cream as a garnish.
- Falooda is very suitable to be served during group activities; let your guests compose their own drink ingredients with you. People who have never tried falooda before will surely enjoy this.
