Falooda

Falooda is my husband’s favourite dessert order at any restaurant and we’ve tasted quite a lot of versions of Falooda – some really interesting ones. One version had tutti-frutti, another had different colours of vermicelli, and yet another one had javvarisi (sago) which I think was their substitute for Basil seeds (sabja seeds) that are traditionally used in Faloodas.

I searched high and low and couldn’t find these basil seeds anywhere. If anyone knows where I can find these in Chennai do let me know. My Falooda is also a Basil seed-less Falooda and is most similar to the Falooda served in Fruit shop. It’s a wonderfully fulfilling dessert to round off a meal where you’ve had a little bit of everything and you’re pleasantly satiated.

Falooda is one of those extremely impressive but deceptively simple desserts to pull off provided you have all the components prepared before-hand and chilled. Falooda makes a wonderful occasional treat for kids. My kids insist on eating desserts themselves and they look like greedy little kittens that have fallen face first into ice-cream buckets. My son (not yet 2 years old) gets his ice cream on his nose and up till his eyebrows - I don’t know how. I invariably wouldn’t be able to find my camera at those instances and I always miss taking those Pinteresty pictures.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

Ice Cream – 750 ml any flavour (I used Kwality Walls Pineapple flavour tub)
Jelly – 1 pack
Vermicelli – 100 gm
Cut Fruits – 2 cups (I used 2 mangoes)
Rooh Afza rose syrup – 6 tbsp
Milk – 2 cups
Sugar – 7 tbsp

Method

1.      Cook vermicelli in milk till soft but not mushy. Add sugar when the vermicelli is cooked. Mix  well. Use just enough milk to immerse the vermicelli. If you have those long vermicelli strands, break them up before you boil them in milk. Make sure the cooked vermicelli is a thick mixture and not too runny. Refrigerate.

2.      Make any flavoured jelly as per pack instructions, which is usually to pour boiling water into a bowl containing the jelly powders. Stir well. Set aside to set for 30-45 minutes and then refrigerate.

3.      Cut fruits into tiny cubes. I used ripe mangoes. You can use any combination of fruits – apples, bananas etc. Refrigerate till serving time.

4.      Before serving, cut up the jelly into tiny cubes.

5.      To assemble, take a tall glass, spoon in  cooked vermicelli to fill about 1/5^th of the glass. Then spoon in jelly to fill another 1/5^th of the glass. Top this with the cut fruits again to fill 1/5^th of the glass. Place a scoop of ice cream on top and drizzle 1 tbsp of Rooh Afza syrup on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately.

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