Inspired by the classic and ultra famous South Asian dessert/beverage, Falooda, this trifle is filled with nostalgic flavors of rose syrup, basil seeds, and kulfi packed in a delicious dessert. This dessert is super simple to make and perfect when you want to impress a crowd.
If there’s one dessert every South Asian knows, it’s the classic Falooda. A dessert that has deep roots in Persia but is now one of the most loved sweets in all of the South Asian community, Falooda is a simple but super indulgent dessert beverage made with unique flavors like rose syrup, basil seeds, and vermicelli.
The beauty of Falooda is that it’s made differently in every home, some people like to add jelly, some like to add fresh fruits, some like to add ice cream, some like to add Kulfi. Whatever way you make it, it turns out delicious.
Essentially, the main components of Falooda are rose syrup, milk, basil seeds, and vermicelli. It’s supposed to be floral, fruity, and very heavy on the sweet side. I wanted to take this essence of Falooda and turn it into a delicious little trifle cup.
Personally, I have always had Falooda with Kulfi, so I decided to use the flavors of rose, basil seeds, Kulfi, and strawberries for this trifle. I skipped the vermicelli as I feel like it belongs in the milk-heavy Falooda and would not do much for this dessert.
Here’s what in this trifle:
- Soft vanilla cake
- Rose syrup
- Bloomed basil seeds
- Kulfi mousse
- Chopped strawberries
My main goal with this dessert was to make it super delicious but also super simple, which is why there is only one made-from-scratch component in the trifle, the Kulfi mousse. I have used store bought cake and rose syrup to make this trifle so that you can prepare it in less than an hour.
So let’s get into the details of the mousse.
Looking for more Ramadan dessert ideas? Check out these recipes!
Kulfi Mousse
This Kulfi mousse is from one of my most popular recipes, the Kulfi Mousse Cake. Made with a simple homemade Kulfi mix, this mousse is simple to make and tastes rich, indulgent, yet light at the same time.
Here are the steps for making the Kulfi Mousse.
- Make the Kulfi: Add milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, then add sugar and milk solids (khoya, if using) to the milk and mix. Let the milk cook on medium heat, mixing every few minutes so that it does not stick to the pan. Let the milk reduce to half, then add the remaining milk mixed with corn flour and continue cooking while mixing consistently until the Kulfi thickens. Add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix until combined, then mix in the thick cream and take it off the heat. Let it cool completely before using.
- To make the mousse, mix milk, liquid whipping cream, and kulfi in a saucepan and let it heat until it almost starts boiling. Meanwhile, place the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
- Once the cream mixture is hot, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt, then whisk until fully melted and combined. Set it aside until the chocolate cools down to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, whisk the remaining whipping cream in a separate bowl to medium peaks. Don’t over mix it at this step or it will split in the final mixing step.
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled down, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while gently folding it in using a silicone spatula. Don’t rush through this process so that the mousse remains light and fluffy. Mix until the chocolate mixture is fully combined with the cream, then transfer the mousse into a piping bag.
Assembly
- Bloom the basil seeds: place the seeds into a bowl with warm water and let them sit for at least 20 minutes until they are soft and slimy.
- Cut your store bought vanilla cake into circles to fit your trifle cups. Place the cake layer at the bottom and add a spoonful of rose syrup. Don’t add too much or the trifle will become too sweet.
- Top with a spoonful of the bloomed basil leaves and chopped strawberries, then add the Kulfi Mousse. I like to use the Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe the mousse like soft-serve ice cream.
- Let the trifle set in the fridge for 2 hours, then top with more chopped strawberries, bloomed basil seeds, and rose syrup. Serve cold.
PS: you can always customize the trifle and add different fruits and jelly of your choice!
This is really one of those desserts that looks and tastes amazing but takes barely any time to make. If you’re looking to impress a crowd, I highly recommend you give this a try!
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Falooda Trifle
Equipment
- 4-6 trifle cups any size of your choice
- Saucepan
- Electric or hand whisk
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Homemade Kulfi
- 360 ml full-fat milk
- 75 grams sugar
- 1 tablespoon khoya milk solids optional
- 180 ml full-fat milk
- 9 grams cornstarch/cornflour
- 1/2 tsp caradmom powder
- Pinch of saffron
- 50 grams thick cream
Kulfi Mousse
- 70 ml liquid whipping cream
- 70 ml full-fat milk
- 150 grams homemade kulfi
- 200 grams white chocolate chopped
- 225 ml liquid whipping cream for whipping
Assembly
- 1 tbsp basil seeds
- 2-3 tbsp water for blooming basil seeds
- 1 loaf store-bought vanilla pound cake
- 2-4 tbsps rose syrup
- 200 grams strawberries finely chopped
Instructions
Homemade Kulfi
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the milk and cook it on medium heat until it starts boiling, then cook for another five minutes. Keep stirring to make sure that the milk does not burn.360 ml full-fat milk
- Add the sugar and milk solids (if using) and mix until combined, then let it cook for another 5 minutes until it thickens.75 grams sugar, 1 tablespoon khoya milk solids
- In a separate bowl, mix the remaining milk and corn flour to form a slurry. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the slurry into the pan while mixing continuously. Add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix until combined, then let it cook for 3-5 minutes until it thickens.180 ml full-fat milk, 9 grams cornstarch/cornflour, 1/2 tsp caradmom powder, Pinch of saffron
- Add the cream and mix again, then let is cook for another 2 minutes and take it off the heat. Let the Kulfi cool down before using.50 grams thick cream
Kulfi Mousse
- In a heat-proof bowl, add the white chocolate. Add the milk, whipping cream, and homemade kulfi to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s hot, pour the milk mixture on the chocolate, let it sit for a minute until the chocolate melts, then whisk together until the chocolate is properly incorporated into the milk mixture.70 ml liquid whipping cream, 70 ml full-fat milk, 150 grams homemade kulfi, 200 grams white chocolate chopped
- In a separate bowl, whip the remaining cream to medium peaks. Make sure not to overman at this step or it will split at the final mixing stage.225 ml liquid whipping cream for whipping
- Once the milk mixture has reached room temperature, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while folding the mixture gently with a silicon spatula. Do this gently so that the mixture remains light and fluffy.
Assembly
- Bloom the basil seeds: place the basil seeds and water in a bowl and let them sit for 20 minutes until the seeds are soft and slimy.1 tbsp basil seeds, 2-3 tbsp water
- Slice the vanilla cake in slices and cut them in circles to fit your trifle bowls.1 loaf store-bought vanilla pound cake
- To assemble, place the vanilla cake slice at the bottom of the bowl and top with a spoon of rose syrup. Don’t add too much or the trifle will get too sweet.2-4 tbsps rose syrup
- Top with 1 tsp of bloomed basil leaves and chopped strawberries. Now pipe a swirl of the Kulfi Mousse on top. You can also spoon it into the cup if you don’t have a piping bag. Let the trifle set for 1-2 hours.200 grams strawberries
- Once set, top with more chopped strawberries, rose syrup, and bloomed basil seeds and serve cold.
Notes
- You can use any dish or pan to set the dessert, either small single-serve trifle bowls or a large sharing dish.
- When making the Kulfi, make a heavy-bottomed pan to avoid the milk from burning. Also keep stirring often to avoid burning.
- When adding the cornflour slurry into the Kulfi, reduce the heat so that it does not curdle.
- You can flavor the Kulfi with any spices you like.
- When mixing the whipped cream into the mousse, make sure to do it slowly or you will knock the air out, which will result in a thick and dense mousse rather than a light and airy mousse.
If you love Falooda, you will absolutely love this trifle. I really hope you give this one a try because it’s so simple and delicious.
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Until next time!
