A stretchy, chewy ice cream made from milk, sugar, and salep (orchid root powder), infused with cardamom and rose water. Unlike Western ice cream, this Afghan treat has a distinctive elastic texture that is utterly unique.
Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp salep powder (or cornstarch as substitute)
1 tbsp rose water
5 cardamom pods, crushed
1/4 tsp mastic gum powder (optional)
Chopped pistachios for garnish
Instructions
1Mix salep powder with 1/4 cup of cold milk to make a smooth paste. This prevents lumps when added to hot milk.
2Heat remaining milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and crushed cardamom pods. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3Add the salep paste to the hot milk while stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir for 15-20 minutes as the mixture thickens significantly.
4The mixture should coat the back of a spoon thickly and stretch slightly when pulled. Add mastic gum powder if using, and rose water.
5Strain into a freezer-safe container, removing cardamom pods. Cool to room temperature, then freeze for 4 hours, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes.
6Scoop into bowls. The texture should be stretchy and chewy, not hard. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
Did You Know?
Afghan ice cream vendors in Kabul dramatically stretch the mixture in the air before freezing it, putting on a show that draws crowds to their carts.