This delicious Rooh Afza mousse is the perfect show-stopper dessert for your Iftar and Eid parties. It’s super simple to make and requires no baking and only a few ingredients! The combination of Rooh Afza and Pistachios is a match made in heaven and is sure to impress all your guests.
Indians and Pakistanis have many things separating them, but the one thing that brings them together is their love for Rooh Afza.
If you haven’t heard of Rooh Afza before, it’s a delicious, sweet drink syrup made with flavors of rose and other herbs. It’s extremely popular in South East Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. People across these countries enjoy Rooh Afza in many ways – as an icy, lemony, refreshing drink, as a milkshake, and over ice cream; the possibilities are endless.
Rooh Afza becomes even more special for desis during Ramadan. A jug of Rooh Afza juice or milkshake is considered an absolute necessity on every Iftar table in most households. Without Rooh Afza, Ramadan is incomplete in our households.
If you know me, you know my never-ending love for Rooh Afza. This is why it’s not a surprise that this is not my first Rooh Afza recipe. If I am not careful, this website will soon become a Rooh Afza fan page 😂.
I shared a full history lesson on Rooh Afza in my previous recipe, but if you haven’t read that one yet (I’m judging you 👀), here’s a quick recap.
Rooh Afza originated in India as a refreshing tonic in 1906 by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed, the founder of Hamdard. After the India-Pakistan partition, Hamdard’s production split between the two countries, which is why there are two versions of Rooh Afza, one from India and the other from Pakistan.
This Rooh Afza mousse recipe is not new. In fact, it was one of the first recipes I created on my page, and it was an absolute hit. Over the years, though, I have learned a lot more about baking and desserts, so I decided to spruce up one of my most popular recipes and make it even better.
So I present you – Rooh Afza Mousse 2.0!
This Rooh Afza mousse is just as simple but is made as a layered dessert with pistachios to elevate it to a whole new level. The combination of nutty pistachios and sweet, rose-like Rooh Afza is a match made in heaven!
The fun part? You only have to make one thing – the Rooh Afza mousse. We’re going to be using store-bought pistachio paste to layer this dessert, and it turns out absolutely delicious.
Here’s what the layers of this dessert are:
A layer of pistachio paste -> a layer of Rooh Afza Mousse -> a layer of pistachio paste -> chopped pistachios -> a layer of Rooh Afza Mousse -> a layer of whipped cream with a Rooh Afza swirl -> more pistachios.
The Rooh Afza Mousse
This Rooh Afza Mousse is truly magical, and it’s super simple to make. It’s creamy and refreshing at the same time. The mousse is made with a white chocolate base which pairs perfectly with the Rooh Afza flavor, and when I say it’s easy to make, I am really not exaggerating.
All you need is five simple ingredients – milk, whipping cream, Rooh Afza, gelatin, and white chocolate. Here’s how you can make the mousse easily in less than 20 minutes.
- Add the milk, liquid whipping cream, and Rooh Afza in a saucepan and heat until it just boils. While it boils, place the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate, let it sit for 2-3 minutes until it melts, then mix until fully combined.
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin. If the mix is not hot, the gelatin will not mix properly and will leave a gritty texture in the mousse.
- Let the chocolate mixture cool; meanwhile, whip the remaining cream to medium peaks. Don’t overmix the cream at this step, as you will be mixing it further with the chocolate mixture. If you mix it to stiff peaks at this step, your cream will become overmixed later.
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, gently fold it into the whipped cream using a silicone spatula. Make sure you are taking your time while doing this; if you mix too aggressively, you will knock the air out of the mousse, which will result in a dense, thick mousse instead of a light and fluffy one.
After this, all you have to do is assemble the layers and let it chill for a few hours before serving. No baking, no eggs, and no hard work!
The Pistachio Paste
If you have not heard of pistachio paste (or pistachio butter) yet, you must really not scroll the internet much. But gear up because I am about to change your life.
Pistachio butter is this absolutely wonderful delicacy that originates from the likes of Italy. It’s a thick, wonderful green paste made of pistachios; it’s essentially what peanut butter is to peanuts. But there is something magical about it because, hear me out, I am not even a pistachio person, and I can eat buckets of this thing. I don’t know what they put into it!
It’s easily available everywhere; check out the spread section of your grocery shop if you can’t find it. Make sure you are using a high-quality one, as it will be the most flavorful.
I use this one by xx, and it’s absolutely delicious.
I will say that this pistachio paste is an essential part of the dessert, and without it, the mousse tastes pretty basic. So if you can, find it!
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Finally, the mousse is topped with sweetened whipped cream to perfectly balance the whole dessert. You can pipe it any way you like and give the decoration your own twist!
I have created the mousse as individual servings, but you can just as easily make it in a large serving dish to serve at gatherings. The best part about this dessert is that you can make it one night before and let it set for your Iftar/Eid party the next day! No need to spend all day in the kitchen to make this one.
So now that I have hopefully convinced you to try this absolutely spectacular dessert let’s get to the recipe.
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would 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.
PPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Rooh Afza Mousse With Pistachios
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Serving dish (7×7) or individual serving bowls
Ingredients
Rooh Afza Mousse
- 30 ml ice-cold water
- 6 gs gelatin powder
- 200 gs white chocolate
- 75 ml milk
- 75 ml liquid whipping cream
- 80 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- 255 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
Topping
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Rooh Afza
- Chopped pistachios
Instructions
Rooh Afza Mousse
- Bloom the gelatin – pour ice-cold water* in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder over it. Immediately mix the water until the gelatin water is dissolved, then let it set in the fridge for 15 minutes.30 ml ice-cold water, 6 gs gelatin powder
- In a heat-proof bowl, add the white chocolate. Add the milk, whipping cream, and Rooh Afza in 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.200 gs white chocolate, 75 ml milk, 75 ml liquid whipping cream, 80 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is fully melted and incorporated in the milk mixture. Make sure your mixture is still hot, or the gelatin will not melt properly. Set it aside until it cools down to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, add the liquid whipping cream and whip it with a hand or electric mixer until it reaches medium peaks.255 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
- Once the milk mixture has reached room temperature, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while folding the mixture gently with a silicon spatula. Again, do this gently so that the mixture remains fluffy.
- Assemble the mousse: In your serving dish of choice, add a layer of the pistachio paste, then a layer of the Rooh Afza mousse, another layer of pistachio paste and chopped pistachios, then another layer of the mousse. Let the mousse set for at least 2 hours.
- Once set, top the dessert with some sweetened whipped cream swirled with Rooh Afza syrup and chopped pistachios. Serve cold.Sweetened whipped cream, Rooh Afza, Chopped pistachios
Notes
- Ice-cold water for gelatin: make sure you always use ice-cold water for gelatin because it only blooms in cold water. Using warm or room temperature water will not bloom your gelatin, and gelatin does not work until it’s bloomed properly
If there is one recipe you are going to try from my website, make it this one. It really highlights the flavors of Rooh Afza and gives you that nostalgic feeling 💖.
It’s the perfect dessert for your Eid party because you can prepare it and keep it ready in the freezer the day before! No efforts on the day!
And don’t forget; you can make it in absolutely anything, pans, cups, bowls, whatever you fancy!
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to let me know in the comments below how you liked it, and of course, share it with me on Instagram!
See you next time!
