Falooda is a popular ice cream dessert made with sweet basil seeds, vermicelli, rose syrup, milk and ice cream. Falooda is simple to make if you have ice cream & other ingredients.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1¾ cups full fat milk ((chilled, 400 ML))
  • 3 tablespoon sugar ((organic, adjust to taste))
  • ½ tablespoon sabja seeds ((tukumaria seeds, substitute with chia))
  • ½ cup water ((to soak sabja seeds))
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons rose syrup ((or rooh afza, use as needed))
  • ½ cup falooda sev (or any thin vermicelli or semiya)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons jelly ((rose or strawberry, optional))
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped nuts ((pistachios, cashews, almonds))
  • 2 glazed cherries (optional)

Method

  1. Chill the milk and add sugar to it. Stir well until dissolved.
  2. You can also boil the milk until it reduces and thickens a bit. Usually milk is boiled until it reduces to half. Then chilled.
  3. Add falooda seeds to a tea strainer and rinse them with clean water.
  4. Soak them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes. Drain them to the tea strainer if there is excess water. If you skip this step your falooda will thin down with the excess water.

Preparing sev

  1. Check the instructions on the falooda sev pack. Some need just a hot water soak and some require boiling. Mine was supposed to be boiled. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot.
  2. Add vermicelli or sev and cook until just done. Follow the instructions on the pack for cook time.
  3. Drain excess water and set aside.

How to make falooda

  1. You will need 2 large serving glasses. Add jelly to the glass first if using.
  2. Then sabja seeds. Add vermicelli and then rose syrup.
  3. Next pour chilled milk, followed by more jelly if you wish.
  4. Then scoop off the ice cream and add it to the glass. Sprinkle fine chopped nuts. Top with glazed cherries if you have.
  5. Serve falooda immediately.

(optional) Jelly for falooda or buy ready made

  1. Dissolve ⅓ sugar, 5 grams of agar in 500 ml of water. Pour ½ cup rose syrup and stir. Check the sweetness and add more sugar if you prefer.
  2. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 mins. Add in a a few drops of organic food color.
  3. Turn off and pour it to a bowl or tray for setting.
  4. Cut to desired sizes and store in fridge until use.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.