By Aditi Sarsawat
December 2, 2025
Kesar pista kulfi is a classic Indian dessert, loved for its rich, creamy taste. This simple 6-step recipe gives you smooth, pure kulfi without condensed milk or any shortcuts.
1 litre full-cream milk ¼ cup sugar 10–12 pistachios (finely chopped) 1 pinch saffron strands 2 tbsp warm milk (for soaking saffron) ¼ tsp cardamom powder 1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp milk (optional, for creaminess)
Boil 1 litre of milk on a low flame while stirring often, until it thickens, turns creamy and reduces to half of its quantity.
Add sugar and some cardamom powder to this. Continue cooking until the sugar dissolves fully and the mixture thickens a bit.
Soak saffron in warm milk for about 10 minutes. Add this saffron milk to the thick kulfi base to add colour and fragrance.
Add chopped pistachios, letting them soften in the hot mixture to add some crunch and nutty richness.
Mix the cornflour slurry in the hot milk to make the kulfi extra thick, smooth and classic in texture.
Cool the mixture a bit, pour into moulds and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours. Unmould and garnish with the pistachios and serve.