Mango lime and saffron Kulfi

 One advantage is, it takes so long to melt that we had time to take a photo without fear of  it melting

Finally the sunshine has arrived and its here to stay.With temperatures in the high twenties its time for ice cream.What does one do with left over condensed milk? Making ice cream never crossed my mind but when I discovered kulfi and had some left over mangoes I put two and two together and suddenly Lahore´s traditional dessert was re-created here in the Algarve. In India one can pop out and pick up a kulfi from the kulfiwala,who sells it off a cart decorated and painted in vibrant colours.Here in the sunny Algarve dreaming romantically of all things Indian can become a reality.
Kulfi is easy and ridiculously simple to make at home. Unlike Western ice creams, Kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar to traditional custard based ice-cream. Thus, it is usually considered  in its own distinct category of frozen dairy-based desserts.
Its very similar to the traditional ice cream, having the same taste and creamy texture and all one needs is condensed milk pistachios, cardamom and mango. Having combined these ingredients it is then poured into  cone shaped moulds and served on a leaf or frozen on a stick.
The kulfiwalas keep the kulfi frozen by placing the moulds inside a large earthenware pot called a "matka", filled with ice and salt.This all reminds me of the famous ice cream maker Carlo Gatti who may have been the first, or one of the first, in England to offer ice cream for sale to the public.Gatti cut ice from the Regents canal under licence from the Regents Canal company.The original ice pit where Gatti stored his ice cream is still in evidence in what is now the Canal Museum in Kings Cross where one can learn more about the history of the ice cream trade, as well as the English canals.
I digress, so now back to how you can make your own kulfi in the comfort of your own home.
Mango lime and saffron Kulfi

1 tablespoon boiling water
Large pinch of saffron threads
1L (4 cups) condensed milk
335g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
50g pistachio kernels, finely chopped
50g blanched almonds, finely chopped
3 ripe mangoes
1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra, to serve

Place the boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Add the saffron threads and set aside for 2 minutes.Cut the cheeks from the mangoes and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.Pulp the mango flesh.
Meanwhile, place the evaporated milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat for 3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Add the saffron and liquid, pistachios almonds and mango pulp to the milk mixture and stir well to combine. and mix into the condensed milk mixture.
Pour the mixture into six 250ml (1-cup) dariole or freezerproof moulds. Place in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight to firm.
Quickly dip the base of each mould in hot water to loosen the kulfi and turn out onto serving plates.