🇮🇷 Iranian/Persian Cuisine

بستنی سنتی

Traditional Persian Ice Cream

Prep Time 20 min + freezing

Servings 6

Difficulty Medium

Calories 283 kcal

A stretchy, chewy saffron and rosewater ice cream studded with frozen cream ribbons and pistachios, churned to achieve its signature elastic texture.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salep (orchid root powder) or cornstarch
1/4 tsp saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp rosewater
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup frozen clotted cream (sarshir), chopped

Instructions

1 Heat milk with sugar, stirring until dissolved. Whisk in salep or cornstarch.
2 Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens noticeably, about 10 min.
3 Remove from heat. Stir in saffron water, rosewater, and cream.
4 Cool completely. Churn in an ice cream maker. Fold in pistachios and frozen cream chunks.
5 Freeze until firm but still slightly soft. Serve between wafers or in a bowl.

Did You Know?

The signature stretchiness of bastani sonnati comes from salep, powdered orchid root — so valued that Turkey banned its export to protect wild orchids.