Mango Ice Cream
Aam kulfi is a semi-frozen mango dessert, where stiffly whipped egg whites and whipping cream are folded together with mango purée and honey. This gives a soft, airy ice cream without an ice cream machine — the texture comes from stopping the freezing halfway, beating it up well, folding in the egg whites, and freezing again.
Mango is India’s national fruit and features in a huge range of desserts. Canned mango works well here; the fruit is already ripe and sweet, and the consistency causes no problems when it is puréed into the cream. The almonds add a gentle crunch and body that stops the whole thing becoming too milky.
The ice cream needs to be taken out of the freezer ten minutes or so before serving so it softens slightly. Served in small bowls with fresh mint leaves, it makes a simple, cool finish to a spiced meal.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
- 425 g canned mango, drained
- 3 tbsp clear honey
- 600 ml whipping cream
- 50 g ground almonds
- 4 egg whites
- mint leaves, to garnish
Directions
Warm the drained mango in a pan over low heat. Stir in the honey and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the whipping cream and ground almonds. Mix well and leave to cool to room temperature.
Pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and freeze for about 4 hours until half-frozen — firm at the edges but still soft in the centre.
Remove from the freezer and transfer the half-frozen mixture to a bowl. Beat or stir vigorously with a fork to break up the ice crystals.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks in a clean, grease-free bowl. Fold them gently into the mango mixture in two or three additions to retain the air.
Return to the container and freeze for a further 4 hours until firm.
Remove from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving so it softens slightly. Serve in bowls and garnish with mint leaves.
Notes
Active time about 20 minutes. Total freezing time about 8 hours.
Fresh mango can be used instead of canned — use about 400 g (14 oz) of cleaned mango flesh and add an extra drizzle of honey if the fruit is not fully ripe.
The almonds can be toasted briefly in a dry pan first to bring out their flavour. Leave to cool before stirring in.
See Also
Mango Chutney (Indian Style)
