Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Gets a Kulfi Makeover — The Viral Trend, Desi Edition

The Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Trend Meets Kulfi

Cottage cheese ice cream broke the internet — blend frozen cottage cheese with fruit and sweetener, freeze, eat. High protein, creamy, no churn. Gen Z loved it. But India already had the answer: kulfi. Dense, slow-frozen, spiced with cardamom and saffron, richer than any ice cream the West has produced.

This recipe merges both worlds — the ease of the cottage cheese method with the soul of kulfi. The result is the best frozen dessert you'll make this summer.

A Note from Our Founder

"Kulfi was the first thing I ever helped my mother make. She'd simmer milk for hours, add cardamom and saffron, pour into moulds, freeze overnight. The patience it required taught me something about flavour — that the best things can't be rushed. This recipe shortcuts the process without shortcutting the soul. The spices do the heavy lifting." — Founder, Phoran Masala

The Phoran Kulfi Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 250g full-fat cottage cheese (paneer or ricotta works too)
• 200ml condensed milk
• 100ml heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp buy Phoran Green Cardamom online India, freshly ground
• A generous pinch of saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tbsp crushed pistachios
• 1 tbsp rose water (optional)
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Bloom saffron in warm milk for 10 minutes until the milk turns golden.
2. Blend cottage cheese until completely smooth — no lumps.
3. Add condensed milk, cream, ground cardamom, saffron milk, rose water, and salt. Blend again until silky.
4. Taste and adjust sweetness. Fold in half the crushed pistachios.
5. Pour into kulfi moulds, popsicle moulds, or a loaf tin. Top with remaining pistachios.
6. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. To serve, run warm water over the mould for 10 seconds and unmould. Garnish with extra saffron strands and pistachios.

Why the Spices Make This

Freshly ground cardamom is non-negotiable — pre-ground cardamom loses its volatile oils within weeks of grinding. Phoran Green Cardamom is sourced for bold, fragrant pods that you grind fresh for maximum aroma. Saffron adds the golden colour and floral depth that defines authentic kulfi. Together they transform a simple frozen dessert into something that tastes like a memory.

Shop the Spices for This Recipe

Order online, delivered across India:

• Buy Green Cardamom online India — bold, fragrant elaichi pods

Keep Exploring

Love Indian-inspired desserts and drinks? Read our post on Stanley Cup Drinks, But Desi for 5 spiced beverage recipes. And check out The Viral Butter Board Gets an Indian Makeover for more entertaining inspiration.

Browse the full Phoran spice range — order premium Indian spices online India.