ROSE MILK - BANDUNG ROSE SYRUP

HOW TO MAKE ROSE MILK - INDIAN STYLE

ROSE MILK - BANDUNG ROSE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

For Rose Milk:

Optional Ingredients:

For Garnishing:

METHOD:

• Chill the Milk in the refrigerator for a few hours. 
• Fill a Boston Shaker with some Ice Cubes.
• Pour in the Rose Syrup & Chilled Milk into it.
• Shake well until well combined.
• Pour in the Rose Milk/Bandung into a tall glass.
• Garnish Rose Milk with soaked Basil Seeds & fresh/dry Rose Petals (Optional).
• Serve Rose Milk chilled, immediately.

NOTES: 

• I usually chill the Milk in the refrigerator before making Rose Milk.
• Can add more Ice cubes if you prefer to.
• Traditional Rose Milk is not watery.
• Adjust the amount of Rose Syrup to suit your preference and sweet level.
• Garnishing the Rose Milk with Basil Seeds & Rose Petals are truly optional.
• Can simply mix all the ingredients in a big bowl, too.

HOW TO MAKE BANDUNG ROSE SYRUP - MALAYSIAN STYLE

ROSE MILK-BANDUNG ROSE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

For Bandung Rose Syrup:

Optional Ingredients:

For Garnishing:

METHOD:

• In a large bowl, combine the Rose Syrup, Evaporated Milk.
• Pour in the Water and stir well until well combined.
• Top it up with few Ice cubes.
• Pour in the Bandung Rose Syrup into a tall glass.
• Garnish Bandung Rose Syrup with few teaspoons of cooked Barley/Rajma/Red Bean, few teaspoons of Sweet Corn or with few pieces of Grass Jelly(Cincau) (Optional).
• Can add all the above garnishing or play around with one or two of your preferred ingredient.
• Serve Bandung Rose Syrup chilled, immediately.

NOTES: 

• Traditionally, Bandung Rose Syrup is slightly thinner than Rose Milk.  Adjust the consistency to suit your preference.
• Can substitute Evaporated Milk with Condensed Milk (use about 2-3 Tablespoons).
• Condensed Milk & Rose Syrup have added sugar in it.  Adjust accordingly.
• Adjust the amount of Rose Syrup to suit your preference and sweet level.
• Can add more Ice cubes if you prefer to.
• Garnishing Bandung Rose Syrup with Barley or Rajma/Red Bean or Sweet Corn or with few pieces of Grass Jelly(Cincau)are truly optional.
• If preferred, serve Bandung with all the above garnishing, or play around with one or two of your preferred ingredient.

FALOODA

    Falooda, this recipe is what I have eaten it as Falooda.  My recent mishap with understanding Falooda as the one & only Falooda Drink & the story of  Kulfi Falooda.... Anyway, I have always loved to order Falooda and the last time I ate it was in Cochin in 2018.  A tall glass of Falooda layered with Rose Syrup, Sabja Seeds in Milk based concoction, a few slices of Kulfi & garnished with copious amount of Nuts & more nuts. This tall glass of Falooda even made me skip my dinner and skipping a meal when in India is a big taboo according to me.  The reason being, it would be the only time we would get a chance to succumb to our cravings with local delicacies.  But this Falooda made me so full & satiated.

    A Falooda recipe has taken its twists & turns and is catered in numerous versions with whims & fancies, it is one special Indian cold drink which masquerades itself as a Dessert too. This Falooda recipe is served as a cold drink layered with Rose Syrup, Sabja Seeds, Falooda Sev/Vermicelli, a thick milk base - sometimes Rose milk or sometimes a sweet thick concoction of Milk & sugar, some recipes even serve it with Rabri/Rabdi.  This tall glass of cold drink can be served chilled topped with a hearty dollop of Ice cream/Kulfi.  Garnishing Falooda also goes with the whims & fancies - you can garnish it with chopped nuts, dry fruits, fresh fruits, jelly, honey, saffron, rose petals etc., & etc.,

FALOODA

    What is the difference between a Kulfi Falooda and a Falooda recipe is that, the Kulfi Falooda is more or less like a dessert which you can scoop out at eat.  Whereas this Falooda is a cold drink with a flavoured Milk base.  Whatsoever a Falooda recipe should be sinfully rich, decadent and utterly delicious. See... who is explaining the difference between both the recipes.  Haa!!! Mistakes happen paa... and it is from where we learn too...

    In this Falooda recipe, I have made it with Rose Milk base and have served it with Kulfi instead of Ice cream.  

For KULFI FALOODA RECIPE, click here...

Cuisine - Iran(Mediterranean), Indian

Course - Dessert

Difficulty - Medium

Serves - 1

Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

Soaking Time - 30- 45 Minutes(Sabja Seeds)

Cooking Time - 7-10 Minutes(Vermicelli/Falooda Sev)

LAYERS IN FALOODA DRINK

FALOODA

We need the following items to make a Falooda Drink:

• ROSE SYRUP
• FALOODA SEV
• SABJA SEEDS
• SWEETENED MILK BASE/ROSE MILK/RABRI/RABDI
  
• KULFI/ICE CREAM
  
• NUTS FOR GARNISHING

ROSE SYRUP:

ROSE SYRUP

    First we would need a Rose Syrup to drizzle all over the base & the Rose Syrup gives a wonderful colour & flavour to this drink. You can use this Rose Syrup to make Rose Milk base. 

FALOODA SEV -  

FALOODA SEV

Falooda means ‘shredded’ in idiomatic Urdu & it refers to the thin Vermicelli/noodle like ingredient made out of corn flour, which is the  integral part of Falooda. Make it from scratch, or we can easily get it incorporated with store-fought Falooda Sev, I was not in any way lucky to get hold of it.  And my son was like, why don't you make it from scratch.  Me with my lethargic attitude gave a wide smile, convinced him and finally settled with Vermicelli/Semiya. Whatsoever both the ingredients does total justice to the recipe.  One main thing to keep in mind is to leave the cooked Falooda Sev/Vermicelli in cold water for a few minutes.

SABJA SEEDS - 

SABJA SEEDS

     The next ingredient we need are the Sabja Seeds/Sweet Basil Seeds/Tukhmaria.  A long- awaited ingredient lying safely in my freezer since my last India trip which was in 2019.  Soaked it up for about 30-45 minutes and there it was all the items ready to be catered for making a Kulfi Falooda. Soaking Sabja Seeds makes it edible & makes it easily digestible. 

MILK BASE - The milk base needed for Falooda drink can be a simple milk & sugar based concoction or, we can get experimental by

ROSE MILK

RABRI/RABDI

VERMICELLI/SEMIYA PAYASAM

• ROSE MILK: Making the Base with Rose Milk/Bandung.
• RABRI/RABDI: Then if you love to serve Falooda in its utter rich version, then it would be perfect to serve it with Rabri/Rabdi. 
• VERMICELLI PAYASAM:  Or, if you already have Vermicelli Payasam simply add is a base with other ingredients & there you are with a delicious Milk base & here you can also skip making Falooda Sev/Vermicelli.
  
• SWEETENED MILK: Yet another quick-fix version would be to simply mix milk & condensed milk for the Milk base.

ICE CREAM/KULFI - Some Falooda Drink recipes are served topped with a big scoop of Ice Cream or with slices of Kulfi in it.  But serving with Ice cream/kulfi are purely optional. 

For more KULFI RECIPES, click here

NUTS - Serve Falooda garnished heartily with chopped nuts of your choice.  I have used finely chopped Cashew Nuts, Almonds & Pistachios.  

GARNISHING - You can get easy with the choice of garnishing a Falooda. Simply serve it with finely chopped nuts or can go to the extent of making it rich & decadent by adding a few strands of Saffron, Rose Petals etc., Some recipes serve Falooda with dry fruits, cut fresh fruits, jelly etc.,  

     Once all the items are ready, it is time to serve it.  Falooda is a cold drink served in layers of Rose Syrup, Falooda Sev or Vermicelli, Sabja Seeds(Sweet Basil Seeds) in a Milk Base, & served topped with Ice Cream/Kulfi and garnished with nuts or dry fruits.

HOW TO MAKE FALOODA

FALOODA

INGREDIENTS:

For Falooda:

Rose Syrup - 2-3 Tbspns

Sabja Seeds - 11/2 Tspn

Falooda Sev - 11/2 Tbspn

Rose Milk/Sweetened Milk/Rabri/Rabdi - 1 Cup

For Toppings:

Kulfi - 1 No.(medium Sized) 

or 

Ice Cream - a Scoop

For Garnishing:

Cashew Nuts - a few

Almonds - a few

Saffron - a few strands(optional)

METHOD:

• First, take a tall glass for serving Falooda.
• Chill the glass leaving it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes(Optional).
• Then, drizzle a few teaspoons of Rose Syrup at the base and all over the glass.
• Add a few teaspoons of Sabja Seeds over it.
• Then, place a few tablespoons of Falooda Sev/Vermicelli over it.
• Gently pour in the Rose Milk/Sweetened Milk/Rabri/Rabdi.
  
• Place a Kulfi over the above ingredients.  Can cut the Kulfi into Slices of 2 or 4.
• Alternatively can serve it with a scoop of Ice cream.
  
• Now, drizzle some more Rose Syrup over the ingredients.
• Garnish heartily with finely chopped nuts of your choice & Saffron Strands.
• Serve Falooda chilled, immediately. 

 

FALOODA

NOTES:

• For sweetened Milk Base, can simply blend Milk(Boiled & chilled) along with Condensed Milk and use it as a Milk base.
  
• I have added Vermicelli/Semiya in this recipe instead of Falooda Sev.  Cook according to the instruction & then once cooked, leave it in cold water for a few minutes.
• This is to avoid getting the Vermicelli/Falooda Sev sticking to each other.
• Adjust the amount of Rose Syrup to suit your preference.
• Garnish Falooda with your choice of Nuts or dry fruits.
• Can serve Falooda with fresh fruits/jelly.
  

NOTES:

• I have used white sugar in this rose syrup recipe. Brown sugar may darken the Rose Syrup, but if you prefer, substitute Brown Sugar with White Sugar.
• If you are buying the Rose Petals, make sure to buy food grade petals.  Roses from a florist might be loaded with chemical & pesticides. 
• Red or Pink roses are the best for making Rose Syrup and would yield you with a desired pink colour naturally.
• I have made this Rose Syrup with dried rose petals, which gave a natural fragrance and a mild colour.
• The colour of the rose syrup will depend on the quality and the colour of the rose petals. So, I added Beetroot and a teaspoon of Rose Essence, as we love vibrant coloured Rose Milk.
• Discard the beetroot pieces from the Syrup.
• Remove the Rose Petals and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  
• Can use the Rose Petals while making Kulfi or Meeta Paan (instead of Gulkand).  Can use it as a garnish in desserts like Rabdi, Shahi Tukda, Ice creams, drinks etc.,
  
• For a vibrant pink coloured Rose Syrup can use pink food colour.
  
• An Indian brand of Rose Syrup called Rooh Afzah has Kewra Essence in it.  If you prefer the flavouring can add Kewra Water/Essence while making Rose Syrup.
• Adding Lemon juice while making the syrup is to prevent it from crystallization, and it also acts as a preservative. 
• Boil the Syrup until it reaches one string consistency.
• The Syrup gets slightly thicker after cooling down.
• Store Rose Syrup in the refrigerator. This will increase the Shelf life of the Syrup.
• I have added no preservatives or artificial colouring in this Homemade Rose Syrup.

How to use Rose Syrup?

HOW TO MAKE ROSE SYRUP

Rose syrup is such a versatile concoction, you can use it in many ways. Here are some simple and easy uses of Homemade Rose Syrup:

• For Rose Sharbath/Syrup Bandung - Add this rose syrup to plain water & top it up with some Ice cubes.  For a variation, can mix it in Soda.  Or add a dash of Lime/Lemon and serve it with a few leaves of Mint.

  Rose Milk/Bandung

  Buko Salad

  Ab Haveej Bastani

• Add this to Milk to make Rose Milk/Bandung. Serve topped with ice cubes.
• Use this Rose Syrup to make a Rose Flavoured Milk Shake. 
• You can use this Rose Syrup while making Philippino Samalamig Buko Salad, a drink made with tender coconut water, milk, Rose Syrup, jellies, tapioca pearls and served with tender coconut shavings.
• Drizzle a few teaspoons of Rose Syrup while making Ab Haveej Bastani instead of Rose Water/Essence to convert the Persian Carrot Juice served with Saffron Ice cream into a vibrant drink. 
  
• Make a simple tea and add a hint of this Rose Syrup for Rose Tea.
• Add rose syrup, crushed strawberries, and water to a glass. Mix well. Your beautifully vibrant, sweet, and tart floral-fruity drink is ready.
• Add a teaspoon of Rose Syrup into your limeade or lemonade, for a rose flavoured Lime/Lemon drink.
•  Or add it to your Cocktails, Mocktails, Mimosas, rosé wine, or sparkling drinks.  
• Drizzle rose syrup over your cakes, crêpes, waffles, or pancakes.

• Shahi Gulab Kulfi

  Falooda

  Kulfi Falooda

• Can use this Rose Syrup while making Falooda and Kulfi Falooda. 
• Add this Rose Syrup to Kulfi for a Rose flavoured Shahi Gulab Kulfi. 
• Can make rose ice cream using this Rose Syrup.
  
• Drizzle rose syrup over ice-creams or desserts.

  Rose Phirni

  Rose Lassi

  Kuih Sago Rose

• Add a few teaspoons of Rose Syrup while making Phirni/Firni for Rose Phirni.
• Add it to your Curd/yogurt to make flavoured sweet yogurt or cooling Rose Lassi.
• Can use this Rose Syrup while making Kuih Sago Rose, a Malaysian kuih prepared with Tapioca Pearls.
  
• Make Rose Rabdi using this syrup for an excellent dessert.
  
• This homemade rose syrup can also be added to while making Rasagulla and Gulab Jamuns.

HOW TO MAKE ROSE KULFI/SHAHI GULAB KULFI

ROSE KULFI RECIPE/SHAHI GULAB KULFI

INGREDIENTS :

To Garnish:

METHOD :

• Dissolve Saffron strands in few teaspoons of milk and keep it aside.
• Mix Milk Powder in cold milk to make a thick paste, mix well until there are no lumps.
• Add rest of the Milk to the Milk Powder Paste, along with Condensed Milk, Sugar and mix well.
• Bring this Milk Mix to boil on a very low flame for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Scrap the sides in between.
• Add Mawa/Khoya and mix well, preferably using a whisk.
• Leave this on a very low flame stirring thoroughly.
• Care should be taken not to burn the mix and make sure there are no lumps.
• Pour in the Rose Syrup and mix well.
• Leave this on a low flame for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add Cardamom Powder, dissolved Saffron and mix well.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Freeze the Mix for about 2-3 hours until half set.
• Remove the mix from the freezer and whip it up in a blender or with an egg beater for few minutes.
• Pour this into Kulfi moulds.
• Garnish Rose Kulfi with slivered nuts and dried Rose Petals.
• Again freeze it for about 8-10 hours or until well set.
• Serve Rose Kulfis chilled.

NOTES :

• If you feel the mix is watery can add 1 tspn of Corn Starch.
• Use a wide heavy-bottomed pot to simmer the Milk Mix.
• The large surface area of the pot will speed up the process.
• While boiling the milk, stir it frequently otherwise it will tend to burn and will totally spoil the taste of Kulfi.
• Adding Mawa/Khoya is truly optional for Rose Kulfis, I add them to give a rich texture.
• For a soft Rose Kulfi add more sugar, also sugar helps in scalding down the milk mix soon.
• I have used the Rose Syrup(sweet version), so I have adjusted the amount of sweetness to my preference in the recipe.
• Can also use fresh/dried Rose Petals, Rose Essence/Rose Water to flavour this Rose Kulfi.
• Pour only 3/4 of the level in the mould, while freezing, as it tends to expand.

HOW TO REMOVE KULFI FROM THE MOLD:

• Run each mould with the lid on under a tap of running hot water or fill a bowl with hot water, stand the kulfi mould in the bowl for few seconds. 
• Carefully invert the mould on a serving plate holding on to the stick.
• Alternatively, can twist the mould between your palms of both of your hands.
• The idea is to make the mould warm so that Kulfis come out clean from the mould.
• Both ideas work best.