The layers in this faluda recipe can be customized to your taste and liking. If you love layered desserts, this delicious dessert drink would easily become your favorite.
All over Delhi, you will find cafes & ice cream parlors selling falooda Ice cream during summers. It is a popular street food in north india. Falooda from lanes of Old Delhi is my most favorite. It is quite strange that my husband hadn’t tried Falooda before I made it for the first time years back. However, he loved it instantly.
I know thandai gets all the love during Holi, but with its burst of colors and flavors, we love making falooda on Holi as well. Falooda is quite rich but festivals are perfect for little indulgence, right?
What Is Falooda
Falooda has origins in the Persian dish faloodeh. The dessert was developed and gained popularity in India during the rule of Mughal empire. Falooda is also a huge part of Pakistani & Bangladeshi cuisine. It is also called Royal Falooda due to its roots in the mughal kitchens. Traditionally falooda is served in tall glasses with layers of rose syrup, vermicelli (falooda sev) and sweet basil seeds(sabja) with cold milk and is often served with kulfi, ice cream or rabri. It is a unique layered sweet treat which is both a beverage and dessert in one. I love adding instant rabdi to my falooda recipe. There are a ton of variations that you can try, I am sharing few of my ideas later in the post.
Layers of Falooda (Ingredient & Notes)
I am writing ingredients in the order I like to layer it, however there is no hard and fast rule, you can layer in any order that you like. I hardly make two servings the same!
Homemade Jelly/Jello - If you can find rose flavored jello where you live, that is the best thing. I use a pack of raspberry or strawberry jello from the baking aisle. All I do is follow package instruction and set it in the fridge. If you want to make it the same day, jello sets in as less as 4 hours. Berries and rose are an amazing combination, so flavors work together very well. Falooda Sev- Are a special kind of noodles made with corn starch/cornflour. Falooda sev is easily available in indian or pakistani stores. I suggest using thin rice noodles if you cannot find since they have chewy texture post cooking. You can use vermicelli noodles as well. Rose Syrup : I love using Rooh afza in my rose desserts. You can use any culinary grade rose syrup. Sweet Basil Seeds - Also known as sabja or tukmaria seeds. Sweet basil seeds are used in the indian beverages during summers due to their cooling properties. In falooda, they add texture and the characteristic look. If you cannot find, use boba pearls or (last resort) chia seeds. Rose milk- I sweeten full fat milk with condensed milk and rose syrup. You can use evaporated milk as well. Rabri (Optional) - I make a quick saffron rabri using paneer and milk. Makes it super delicious. Icecream - Vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Or you can use rose or pistachio flavored ice cream. Chopped Nuts - Any mix of nuts & dry fruits you like. Other Ingredients - Whipped Cream(flavored with rose water or use cardamom), Rose Petals, Marachino Cherries.
How To Make Rose Falooda
To make this falooda dessert, there is a little prep work needed which you can do a day or two in advance. A Day before :-
Set the Jello- See package instructions and set the jello a day or night ahead. Prepare Rabri (If you are using it) - My instant rabri using milk and paneer takes under 30 minutes to make. See instructions in the recipe card. Thicken the Milk- This is optional. You can reduce the milk a little bit, it definitely tastes better especially if you are not using rabri. However with rabri, trust me there are so many flavors and textures going on that you can totally skip it, especially if you are short on time. Sweeten milk with condensed milk and/or rose syrup.
When you are ready to Layer Falooda
Soak The Basil Seeds- Soak them 30-45 seconds in advance. Sabja seeds take seconds to soak unlike chia seeds. Just add 2-3 tablespoon cold water and use. If you are using chia seeds, soak them a couple hours ahead. Cook the Falooda Vermicelli - It takes5 -7 minutes depending on the brand you are using. Add noodles to hot water or cook as per package instructions. Keep the noodles al dente. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.I add a couple pinches of ground cardamom powder while whipping the cream. Or use Reddiwhip.
Serving Falooda
There is no right or wrong way. This is how I layer in a tall serving glass.
Flavors & Variations You Can Try
Kulfi Falooda - Instead of Ice cream use pistachio or malai kulfi. Slice or cut kulfi into small pieces and add. Mango Falooda - Make Mango Milk using fresh or canned mango pulp and milk. You can use orange or banana flavor jello in that case. Chocolate Falooda :- Add chocolate syrup to milk instead of rose syrup. Fresh Fruit Falooda - You can add chopped fruits or fresh berries to add freshness. Boba Falooda- Add some cooked boba pearls along with the jelly. So So good! Custard falooda - Use vanilla custard instead of rabri. Caramel Falooda- Use caramel to sweeten the milk. Make It Vegan/Dairy free - Use plant based milk and make sure that the syrup you are using is vegan. Use vegan ice cream of choice. Use agar agar based jello.
Recipe Tips
Falooda is all about colors, layers and textures. If you ask me, the loaded the better! However, if you wish to skip certain items like whipped cream, its is totally fine. Since there are a lot of sweet layers going on, be a little mindful of how you sweeten different components like milk and whipped cream. It is totally fine to leave the whipped cream unsweetened. Layer falooda right when you are ready to serve it. Make sure that the different components are super chilled when you start layering the falooda. Use softened ice cream. Its easy to scoop and starts mixing right away with other layers. To save time, I do start prep a day or two ahead (making jello, making rabri, reducing milk etc) and highly suggest you do the same. You can toast the nuts for a nice flavor. Usually Falooda is served with a long handle spoon. Serve both with spoon and a sipping straw. If you wish you can make 3 servings out of this recipe by serving in shorter/small size glass cups.
More Holi Recipes
Thandai Chanshni Gujiya Thandai Nan khatai Pista Mawa Ladoo Mango Frozen Shrikhand Rose Cheesecake Thandai Shortbread Bars Aloo Chaat Matar Paneer Tikki Chaat
