KULFI (INDIAN ICE CREAM WITH NUTS)

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a wide, heavy based sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
• As soon as the milk begins to rise, turn the heat down just to the point to allow the milk to simmer vigorously but without boiling over.
• Add in the cardamom pods.
• Leave the milk to boil and stir the sides of the pan constantly to avoid scalding.
• Whenever a film forms on top of the milk, just stir it in .
• The milk has to reduce to about a third of the original amount, about 750 ml (1 1/4 pints) which will take about 45 minutes.
• When the milk has reduced, remove the cardamom pods and discard them.
• Add in the sugar and almonds, stir and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the reduced milk into a bowl (which can be put into the freezer) and let it cool completely.
• Add half of the chopped pistachios and stir them in .
• Cover the bowl with an aluminum foil and put it in the freezer.
• (I do not have an ice-cream maker, but if you do, then you can pour the milk into the machine and get it going).
• Meanwhile, put 6 small individual cups or a 900ml ( 1 1/2 pints) pudding basin in the freezer.
• Every 15 minutes or so, remove the ice-cream bowl from the freezer and give the ice-cream a good stir.
• As the ice-cream begins to freeze, it will become harder to stir but when it becomes almost impossible to stir, take out the cups or pudding basin from the freezer and divide the ice-cream between the cups or empty it into the pudding basin.
• Sprinkle the remaining pistachios over the top and cover with aluminum foil sealing them well on the edges.
• Return them back to the freezer to let the ice-cream harden (for at least 4 hours).
• If it's in individual cups, then remove the cups from the freezer 10-15 minutes before you want to serve it to soften slightly.
• If it's made in the pudding basin, you can put it in the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving.
• Remove the ice-cream from the pudding basin by running a sharp knife around the edges of the ice-cream and slip it onto a serving plate (it should slip off easily, if it doesn't then dip the bowl in hot water and try again).
• Cut into 6 slabs and serve.
• Enjoy!