Falooda ice cream is a layered summer dessert drink made with milk, rose syrup, sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds), falooda sev (thin vermicelli), nuts, raisins and ice cream. Faluda is a popular Indian summer drink and easy to make.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Beverages, Desserts
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon sabja seeds ((sweet basil seeds, tukmaria seeds) - can swap with chia seeds)
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water (or add as required)
  • 5 tablespoons falooda sev (- roughly ⅓ cup or rice or wheat vermicelli)
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons rose syrup (or add as needed)
  • 6 tablespoons soaked sabja seeds
  • 12 tablespoons cooked falooda sev (- about ¾ cup cooked falooda sev)
  • 4 cups milk (- chilled or cold almond milk)
  • 4 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
  • 10 to 12 pistachios (- unsalted, sliced or slivered)
  • 10 to 12 almonds (- slivered or chopped)
  • 10 to 12 cashews (- chopped)
  • 10 to 12 raisins (or 4 to 8 glazed cherries)

Method

Preparation

  1. Soak sabja seeds in water for about 20 to 30 mins. Once they swell using a strainer drain the extra water and set the soaked seeds aside.
  2. Prepare the falooda sev according to package instructions.
  3. Some require just soaking the falooda sev in warm water. Or you can cook them in hot water until softened.
  4. Boil water on medium to high heat. Add the falooda sev or your preferred choice of vermicelli. If the faluda sev are long, then just break or chop them prior to cooking.
  5. Cook according to package instructions or until softened.
  6. Once cooked, using strainer or colander, drain the extra water. Then rinse the cooked falooda sev in fresh water. Drain the water again. Keep covered aside till they are cooled completely at room temperature.
  7. Chop the nuts and set aside.

Making falooda ice cream

  1. In 4 tall glasses each, add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons rose syrup. Depending upon the sweetness preferred and the size of the glass add less or more of the rose syrup.
  2. Then add 2 tablespoons soaked sabja seeds.
  3. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the faluda sev.
  4. In a slow stream, pour about 1 cup milk.
  5. Then top with one scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  6. Garnish with a few raisins, sliced pistachios, almonds or cashews. For a bright pop of color, you can decorate with a few glazed cherries or tutti-frutti. Prepare the remaining falooda drinks in the same way.
  7. Serve the falooda straight away. While drinking, with a spoon mix the rose syrup settled at the bottom with the milk and then drink as you eat the vermicelli, sabja seeds and nuts.

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.