Combine 100 ml of the milk with the cornflour in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in the saffron and set aside.

Place remaining milk and cardamom pods in a frying pan or wide-based, shallow saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil, occasionally stirring and scraping the base and sides of the pan. Once it reaches boiling point, continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring just enough to stop the milk from boiling over or scalding, until reduced by about half (700 ml).

Strain, discarding cardamom pods, then whisk the hot milk mixture into the reserved saffron milk mixture. Transfer to a clean pan over high heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sugar, pistachios, and honey, and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap with a few holes spiked into it. Cool mixture to room temperature, then pour into 4 individual moulds or a single mould. Cover each surface with plastic wrap, then freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Transfer the kulfi to the fridge for 30 minutes to soften before serving.

Dip the base of the moulds into hot water and then turn kulfi out onto serving plates. Serve scattered with extra pistachios and drizzled with the extra honey.

Photography Alan Benson
Styling Michelle Crawford
Food Preparation Kate Flower

Place the milk powder, flour and baking powder in a large bowl and stir to combine well. Add the yoghurt and most of the milk and use your hands to combine until a moist and slightly sticky dough forms. Add the remaining milk if necessary. Set aside.

To make the syrup, place the sugar, saffron and 650 ml water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water and set aside.

Pour about 10 cm oil into a wok or wide saucepan and place over low heat.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one half and keeping the other half covered so it doesn’t dry out, grease your palms well with ghee and shape the dough into 9 small tight balls. I like to make them slightly oval rather than round but you can shape them how you like. The surface should be smooth and crack-free. If the dough is too soft to shape, add a little more milk powder.

To check if the oil is ready, put a tiny ball of the dough into the oil. It should only sizzle very slightly. When ready, add the balls, stirring the oil as you put them in. Cook, stirring and turning regularly, for 15-17 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place straight into the syrup.

Repeat with the remaining dough.  Leave the gulab jamun in the syrup to soak for 2 hours or overnight, covered in the fridge. They should last 10 days or more.

You can serve them cold, at room temperature or hot, sprinkled with pistachios if using.  I like them hot so heat them in the syrup on the stove or in the microwave

by: Anjum Anand