Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Kulfi Aur Gur Galef Kharrot (Kulfi & Molasses Coated Walnuts)

Punjabis, just like the rest of Indians, love those really sweet dishes that make the end of a meal so enjoyable. There are some unique Punjabi sweets like gajjar da halwa (carrot pudding), or sooji da halwa (cream of wheat pudding) or atte da kadda (wheat pudding) which are best when they contain some nuts.

Nuts of all types are also a favorite of Punjabis, and especially piste (pistachios), badam (almonds) or kaju (cashews). I remember when I was growing up in Lyallpur in the region of West Punjab made fertile by the Chenab River that my grandfather would bring home jute bags full of nuts of all sorts which we would enjoy eating during the winter months as we sat around an anghiti (wood burning clay bucket stove) in the courtyard of our ancestral home.

Nuts of all types are still favored during the winter months in the Punjab – chilgoze (pine nuts), kharot (walnuts) and roasted mumfli (peanuts) are also eaten commonly, along with kishmish (raisins). These mewah (dried fruits) are very often used in all types of mithai (sweetmeats), even though dried fruits have become quite expensive in India and are out of the reach of many people. Even so, the halwai (confectioners) shops are packed everyday.

With the Holiday Season coming upon us, these two timely recipes will come in handy. These are fairly easy to make, and as any sweets loving Punjabi will declare, they are hard to resist. The kulfi recipe is not the traditional one but the much simpler American version which tastes just as good.

Too many walnuts can irritate the palate but the gur coating makes them much tastier. It is a treat during the monsoons or winter months and is also very beneficial because it is not as heavy as other sweets are.

Kulfi (Condensed Milk Ice Cream)