Date Palm Jaggery Icecream

This is really not the right time for ice cream but I really wanted to use the karupatti jaggery I bought in an ice cream.

This time of the year we see many vendors from Tamil Nadu selling karupatti jaggery or date palm jaggery in Bangalore. We get something similar in Mangalore but that is generally in the shape of a disc. This was the first time I purchased this one.

Ice cream and kulfi is generally not something I make, in fact I have never made ice cream in the last decade. So this was the first time the hubby got to sample my own made icecream and I must say he was impressed.

Though I call it an icecream it actually had quite a kulfi like taste.

Let’s get down to the recipe I used.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup milk,

1 cup cream,

1.5 tsp cornflour,

¾ cup of crushed karupatti jaggery,

Method

Put the crushed karupatti jaggery in a pan and add about ½ cup water. Let it stand for a while and it will dissolve completely. Strain this out to remove all impurities. Now cook the syrup till you get a honey-like consistency. Cool this liquid. This recipe requires only ½ cup of this thick jaggery syrup.

Take 1 cup of milk and the cream in a pan and heat it on a low flame till it is hot. Do not boil it.

Take the remaining ¼ cup milk and add the cornflour to it. Pour this cornflour mixture into the heated milk+cream mix and keep stirring int one direction till it thickens to a custard consistency. Switch off the heat and let it cool a bit.

When it almost reaches room temperature pour in half cup of prepared jaggery syrup. Mix well.

Pour this into a freezer proof airtight container. It is very important to use an airtight container to prevent icicles forming in your icecream. Place this in the freezer. When it freezes, remove it and whisk it thouroughly using a hand blender or mixer. Again freeze it. Repeat this at least 3 times. This lends a creamy texture to the ice cream.

While serving you can drizzle a bit of the jaggery syrup on top as well as almond slices.