Gulab Jamun (made with bread) Malai Matka Kulfi is an innovative Indian fusion dessert recipe. This Indian ice cream is a holiday favorite!
Enjoy the goodness of gulab jamun and kulfi together in one dessert! Simple, easy, and quick to make.
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Two treats in one
Have you ever been in a situation where you are unable to decide which dessert to have, especially when all of them look so good?
This happens with KR all the time and he obviously ends up relishing all the desserts! This recipe is just for people like us! It's got two of our favorite desserts infused into one!
What is Gulab Jamun
It is a very popular Indian dessert! They are fried, golf ball-sized balls, made with flour, that are then soaked in rose-flavored sugar syrup. They are soft and spongy in texture.
Both of us actually love gulab jamuns. My mom would make it every year for Diwali. She would make a big batch and keep it on the dining table for us to eat.
It would be all gone in no time! Similarly, KR also has a special liking for this Indian dessert. We try to get it every year for Diwali. But this year I decided to make it but with a twist!
I have used leftover bread to make them instead of using flour. Bread Gulab jamuns are a nice variation of the original recipe without compromising on the taste.
What is a Kulfi
Kulfi is an Indian ice cream that resembles a popsicle! It is creamier in texture because it's made with milk and other milk products. That's why it's also called Malai Kulfi.
The milk is slow-cooked till it reduces and thickens. Sweeteners like condensed milk or sugar are often used to make this delicious Indian ice cream.
There is a special kulfi mold that is used to set this dessert. Setting them in small earthen pots called Matka is also another popular way of serving them.
No matter whether you call it, Matka Kulfi or Malai Kulfi, it's a delicious Indian ice cream that's a crowd favorite. Enjoy it in any season and not just in summer.
Mix the two
This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy both these delicacies in one dish! It makes this dessert visually stunning and drool-worthy!
Gulab Jamun served in kulfi ice cream takes this Indian dessert to the next level in terms of decadent flavor!
Fusion recipes are always a HIT at parties. Everyone loves a sweet treat that's different and something new. This Gulab Jamun Matka Kulfi checks all the boxes.
Why make this
- Two Indian desserts in one
- Indulgent holiday treat
- Super easy and quick to make
- Can be made ahead of time
- Works great when serving large crowds
- Loved by all ages
- This fusion Indian dessert can easily be made vegan
Ingredients needed 🧾
To make the bread gulab jamuns, we need:
Bread - discard the crust and break it into pieces. You can also use leftover bread for this recipe. I used scooped-out bread from the French Loaf Vada Pav recipe.
Milk - Feel free to use full-fat or low-fat milk. You can also use evaporated milk or any dairy-free milk.
Cardamom powder and rose water are for flavoring. Besides these, we also need oil for deep frying.
To make the malai kulfi, we need:
Milk - Full-fat milk does full justice to this dessert. But feel free to use low-fat or 2% milk.
Condensed milk for making it luscious and creamy and cardamom powder to give it an aromatic flavor. You can also use khoya instead. Corn flour is added to thicken the kulfi mixture.
Besides these ingredients, we also need matkas or Kulhads. I got mine from India but you can find similar ones on Amazon.
How to make it 🔪
This Indian fusion dessert recipe is divided into two parts. We need gulab jamuns that we have made from scratch here.
This gulab jamun recipe is very easy and simple to make. Read notes below for alternatives.
- Add torn bread pieces to a blender jar. Also, add cardamom powder to it.
- Pulse till they are crumbly. Then transfer to a bowl.
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- Gradually add milk to it. Ensure the milk is at room temperature or slightly warm. Mix it together. Do not knead. Shape them into small balls by pressing them firmly.
- The proportion mentioned in the recipe makes 10 balls.
- Now prepare the sugar syrup. Add water and sugar to a pan and cook on a low flame till the sugar melts. Increase the flame a bit and keep stirring it till it thickens and reaches one string consistency.
- Take it off the flame. Add rose water, and lemon juice (optional).
- Heat oil for frying. To check if the oil is hot enough, add a small piece of the batter to the oil. If it sinks, it means the oil is not hot and if it immediately floats to the top, it's too hot. Chef Tip - Lower the flame in that case. The right temperature of the oil is when it takes a couple of seconds to float to the top. Fry the Gulab Jamuns in batches. Do not crowd them. Ensure it's evenly cooked by tossing them around. Keep the flame on medium all the time.
- Remove them onto a plate covered with tissues to soak off the excess oil. Then dunk them in the hot/warm sugar syrup. Chef Tip - Garnish with saffron strands (optional). Leave them there for 20 minutes minimum.
The second part of the recipe is to make the Matka Malai Kulfi mix.
- Add milk to a thick-bottomed pan.
- Pour condensed milk and then cook it on low flame for 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan while doing so.
- Meanwhile, mix a tablespoon of milk with corn flour in a small bowl. There should be no lumps.
- Once the milk has thickened and reduced in half, pour this corn flour slurry into it and also add the cardamom powder. Mix and take it off the flame.
- Let it cool down for 15 minutes. Fill the small matkis with this mixture.
- Place a gulab jamun in the center and cover the matkis with a cling wrap or foil. You can also chop the gulab jamuns and add them to the mixture. Freeze for 4-5 hours or leave it overnight.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Remove the cling wrap, and garnish it with whatever you have handy - edible rose petals, saffron, and/or chopped nuts. You can also add silver/gold vark on top.
There is no need to remove the kulfi from the matkas. Serve it with the matkas. They are individual servings anyway.
Serve these Gulab Jamun Matka Malai Kulfi on any happy or festive occasion like Diwali, Holi, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, or New Year.
You can also serve this Indian fusion dessert at potlucks, brunches, weekends, game nights, events, or parties like birthday parties, baby showers, or even weddings.
Top recipe tips 💭
To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free bread. You can also use brown or cane sugar instead of regular white sugar to make the syrup.
In case you are having trouble shaping the balls, add 1-2 tablespoons of almond flour or milk powder to help bind them. But you should not need it.
Instead of condensed milk, you can also use heavy cream or khoya. In that case, you will need to keep cooking it a bit longer for the mixture to thicken.
It's important to wrap the kulfis with cling wrap, else ice crystals will form on top. If you don't have matkas, feel free to use any other molds with lids.
You can also set this Indian ice cream dessert in one large bowl and serve it using ice cream scoops. Another way is to set it in a loaf pan. Cut and serve them in slices.
Recipe FAQs 📖
You can either make gulab jamuns from scratch by following this recipe or using a ready mix that is available in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.
Even ready store-bought ones or frozen ones can be used. You can also order from an Indian restaurant or use leftover gulab jamuns and use them in this fusion dessert recipe.
In fact, this is a great recipe to make even after the holidays. If you have any leftover gulab jamuns, just turn them into kulfis and freeze them.
Stick to the measurement provided. Stop cooking when it reaches one string consistency.
Some indicators are - when the syrup coats the ladle, and when you pour the syrup, it should fall in one line consistency.
If the syrup crystallizes, add a few drops of lemon juice. If that doesn't help, add a couple of teaspoons of water and heat it a bit without boiling it.
These frozen kulfis stay good for months in the freezer. If you want, prepare the kulfi mixture and store it beforehand. It stays well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Even the gulab jamuns can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a week. To make the kulfis, mix them as instructed in the recipe and then freeze them.
Use unsweetened almond or oat milk instead of regular milk and dairy-free condensed milk.
The rest of the ingredients are already vegan-friendly in this Indian fusion dessert.
If you don't want to deep-fry them, you can also air-fry them at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Spray the balls with cooking spray before air-frying them.
Matka Malai Kulfi can be made in many flavors. Add the mango pulp to make mango kulfi, rose syrup to make rose kulfi, or even paan leaves and gulkand to make paan kulfi.
Favorite Fusion recipes
My love for fusion recipes is real! I have many recipes to prove that. Here are some of my favorite Indian fusion savory and dessert recipes:
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Recipe 📖
Malai Kulfi With Gulab Jamun
Equipment
Ingredients
To make bread gulab jamun
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 6 tablespoon milk
To make the sugar syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ tablespoon rose water
To make the kulfi mixture
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
To make bread gulab jamun
- Add torn bread pieces to a blender jar. Also add cardamom powder to it.
- Pulse till they are crumbly. Then transfer to a bowl.
- Gradually add milk to it. Ensure the milk is at room temperature or slightly warm.
- Mix it together. Do not knead. Shape them into small balls by pressing them firmly. The proportion mentioned in the recipe makes 10 balls.
To make the sugar syrup
- Add water and sugar to a pan and cook on a low flame till the sugar melts.
- Increase the flame a bit and keep stirring it till it thickens and reaches one string consistency. Take it off the flame. Add rose water, and lemon juice (optional).
To fry the jamuns
- Heat oil for frying. To check if the oil is hot enough, add a small piece of the batter to the oil. If it sinks, it means the oil is not hot and if it immediately floats to the top, it's too hot. Lower the flame in that case.
- The right temperature of oil is when it takes a couple of seconds to float to the top. Fry the Gulab Jamuns in batches. Do not crowd them.
- Ensure it's evenly cooked by tossing them around. Keep the flame on medium all the time.
- Remove them onto a plate covered with tissues to soak off the excess oil. Then dunk them in the hot/warm sugar syrup. Leave them there.
To make the kulfi mixture
- Add milk to a thick bottomed pan. Pour condensed milk and then cook it on low flame for 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan while doing so.
- Meanwhile mix a tablespoon of milk with corn flour in a small bowl. There should be no lumps.
- Once the milk has thickened and reduced in half, pour this corn flour slurry into it and also add the cardamom powder.
- Mix and take it off the flame. Let it cool down for 15 minutes.
- Fill the small matkis with this mixture. Place a gulab jamun in the center and cover the matkis with a cling wrap. You can also chop the gulab jamuns and add it to the mixture.
- Freeze for 4-5 hours or it's time to serve. Remove the cling wrap, garnish with edible rose petals, saffron, and/or chopped nuts. You can also add silver/gold vark on top.
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We'll email this recipe to you, so that you can look at it later!
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