Desserts

5 recipes

Lahori Falooda

Vermicelli (the thin Indian/Pakistani sweet noodles) is boiled, drained and chilled in iced water. Sweet basil seeds (sabja or tukmaria) are soaked in cold water until they swell into clear jelly capsules. Milk is sweetened lightly and chilled. Glasses are layered: a spoon of rose syrup at the bottom, then soaked basil seeds, then chilled vermicelli, then milk poured in slowly, then a scoop of kulfi (or vanilla ice cream) on top, more rose syrup drizzled, and a scatter of nuts. Eaten with a long spoon.

40 minutes Serves4

Lahori Firni

Aged basmati rice is soaked briefly and ground to a coarse paste (the Lahori way; modern shortcut is rice flour). Milk is brought to a boil, the rice paste whisked in carefully to avoid lumps, and the mixture cooked over low heat for 25-30 minutes with constant stirring as it thickens to a custard. Sugar, cardamom, saffron and a hint of rose go in at the end. The firni is poured into small earthenware bowls (the traditional vessel; the porous clay draws moisture out and intensifies the flavour). Chilled, topped with nuts.

1 hour 15 minutes Serves6

Lahori Gajar Halwa

Red winter carrots are grated coarsely on a box grater. The grated carrot is simmered with full-fat milk over medium heat, stirred frequently as the milk reduces and the carrots take on its colour and fat. After about 45 minutes the milk has cooked down to a thick paste with the carrots; sugar is added (which releases more water briefly), then ghee, cardamom and the dish is fried-dried over higher heat for the final 15 minutes until thick, dark and oily-glossy. Khoya (reduced milk solids) is the traditional finish; condensed milk is the modern shortcut.

1 hour 45 minutes Serves6-8

Lahori Kulfi

A litre and a half of full-fat milk is brought to a boil and reduced over medium heat for about an hour, stirring every few minutes, until it has shrunk to a third of its volume and gone the colour of pale toffee. Sugar, cardamom, ground pistachios and a touch of saffron go in once the reduction is complete. The mixture is poured into small conical moulds (or paper cups) and frozen hard. No churning; no ice cream maker; the dense texture comes from the long reduction.

1 hour 15 minutes Serves8

Lahori Shahi Tukda

Slices of white bread are trimmed of their crusts and cut into triangles, then fried in ghee until deep golden. A sugar syrup is made fragrant with saffron, cardamom and rose water. A second pan reduces milk to a thick rabri (the milk-cream topping). The fried bread triangles are dipped briefly in the syrup so they soak it up without going mushy, layered onto a serving plate, and topped with the rabri. Toasted nuts and silver leaf finish.

1 hour Serves6