I am not exaggerating when I say this ice cream might just be the best thing to ever come out of mykitchen.
I am a self-professed ice cream obsessive. If I could eat just one thing for the rest of my life it would definitely be ice cream. What’s not to love? The perfect sweet and creamy consistency, the endless flavor possibilities and mix-ins that add wonderful texture and surprises, toppings and sprinkles that can make anyone smile, I could go on and on.
While I have a list of ice cream pints that I would readily rank to anyone who asked, I have just started the adventure of homemade ice cream with the newest addition to my kitchen. I know there’s a whole slew of “no churn” ice creams out on the inter-webs these days, but I’m definitely a convert to the ice cream machine team after getting the attachment for my KitchenAid a few weeks ago. Besides, if you eat ice cream as much as I do, it’s worth the fifty bucks to just get a machine.
So let’s talk about the flavor of this ice cream – haldhi doodh, aka a golden milk latte. (Haldhi = turmeric, Doodh = milk)
It’s almost funny for me to see the rise in popularity of haldhi doodh at coffee shops around the country over the last year or so. I grew up with my mom making this drink and not wanting anything to do with it. Turmeric’s place in Indian cooking has more to do with adding color to foods like curry and stews, dal and sabzi, than it does in adding flavor. Have you ever tried turmeric on its own? It’s bitter and earthy, not in a good way. My mom would make haldhi doodh for us when we were under the weather or she just felt like making us drink milk. I have since wiped away memories of disliking the drink with more flavorful cups of golden milk that more resemble a chai in flavor, and by eating it in ice cream form.
Obviously this ice cream has more to do with re-creating flavor from my childhood than it does with being something healthy, but it’s still really fun to serve up. After some ice cream research, I ended up trying the Philly method to make this batch instead of the custard method. I find it easier to not have to deal with eggs and tempering a custard. The benefit of a custard based ice cream seems to be leading to a fluffy and creamy texture, as most Philly-style ice creams lose that creaminess after a couple days in the freezer. But if you’re like me, the ice cream will be finished in a few days anyway, and a Philly-style ice cream lets you really highlight flavors that you’re adding instead of having to fight with the egg yolk flavor. Take your pick!
The flavor of this ice cream is floral and sweet, with a creeping heat that comes from the ginger and pepper that spice it up.
I love the extra punch from the candied ginger that is mixed into the ice cream, and crunchy texture that comes from the biscuits. Don’t skimp on the ground black pepper that I add in at the end, it’s the unexpectedly perfect heat to pair with the sweetness of the ice cream.
This flavor is going to be on repeat all season long!
Haldhi Doodh Ice Cream
Description
This Homemade Ice Cream Is a Golden Milk Latté in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/4 tablespoon of peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1/4 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 inches of fresh turmeric root, peeled and sliced
For the mix-ins :
- 12 biscuits of choice, crushed – I like Parle-G
- 1/4 cup of candied ginger, diced
- A few turns of fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a stovetop pot, add the cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and peppercorns. Bring up to medium heat and heat the spices for about 5 minutes until they become fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream, whole milk, ground turmeric, sugar, and salt to the pot with the spices. Stir to combine and bring the milk up to just a simmer, stirring occasionally and making sure the sugar dissolves. Don’t boil the milk. Remove from the heat.
- Add the fresh ginger and turmeric to the milk and stir. Let the milk and spices cool to room temperature, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge overnight. Leave the whole spices in the mixture overnight.
- Prep your ice cream machine per given instructions.
- Strain the milk and spice mixture to catch the whole spices and pour into ice cream machine, following machine instructions to reach ice cream consistency.
- In the last five minutes of the ice cream churning, add the crushed biscuits, diced candied ginger, and black pepper.
- When the ice cream has formed, use a spatula to scrape the ice cream into an air tight container or a loaf pan that you tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Store in the freezer until frozen.
- Serve and enjoy!
Just wanted to know what ice cream maker is best or which one did you get to use too?
Thanks!=)
She just used the ice cream attachment for the KitchenAid stand mixer. I have it and highly recommend it! It is about $50 and you don’t have to buy a single use appliance.
Hey Gisele – I have the kitchen aid ice cream attachment!
I’m in love with this ice cream and have made 4 batches already! The flavor is so different and seductive. I found the ingredient quantities a bit cumbersome so I rounded up, e.g., there are three teaspoons to a tablespoon and the recipe called for 1/4 tablespoon, so I rounded that up to a full teaspoon for ease of measurement. I also did not have a cinnamon stick so I used 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder, did not have cardamom pods and so used 1 1/2 teaspoon whole cardamon seeds. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Thank you so much, Donna!! So glad to know you’ve enjoyed this ice cream – it’s definitely a favorite of mine (:
I do want to make this – if I start with Diaspora’s Haldi Doodh blend (a Christmas present), how much would I use and how much should I supplement with whole spices? Thanks!
That’s so lovely—one of our favorites! Try swapping in 2.5-3 teaspoons of the blend—you’ll want to be sure to taste along the way. Enjoy!
Thank you for this lovely kulfi recipe! I omitted the candied ginger and added crushed toasted almonds. So refreshing and delicious!!
★★★★★