Falooda is a layered summer dessert cum beverage. It is an exciting combination of sweetened rose flavoured milk with falooda sev, sabja seeds and vanilla ice-cream. Falooda comes in between category of beverage and dessert. This multi-textured summer drink is an integral part of the menus of street food hawkers that sell drinks, ice-cream parlours and restaurants which serve numerous variations to the basic Falooda recipe. The basic falooda recipe, a milk based dessert, has rose syrup, falooda sev or vermicelli made from arrowroot or corn flour, milk, falooda seeds (basil seeds) and ice cream going into it. This heavenly dessert has contrasting flavours and textures with chewy falooda seeds, soft noodles and jelly, melt in the mouth ice-cream and crunchy nuts.

Ingredients for Falooda:

Milk - 2 cups, full fat

Strawberry Jelly - 1/2 cup, cubed

Rose Syrup - 5 to 6 tbsp

Falooda or Chia seeds - 2 tsp, soaked in 1 cup water for 20-30 minutes

Falooda sev or Vermicelli - 1/2 cup

Pistachios - 5, sliced

Almonds - 4, sliced

Vanilla Ice Cream - 4 scoops

Cherries - 2, for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Bring milk to boil and simmer till it reduces to 1 and 1/2 cups.
2. Turn off flame and bring to room temperature.
3. Add 2 tbsp of rose syrup to the milk and mix. Chill until use.
4. Cut jelly into small cubes and keep aside.
5. Make Falooda sev and then place in cold water and refrigerate until use.
6. Soak Falooda seeds in water for 30 minutes and allow it to bloom. Set aside.
7. Chill the serving glasses in the fridge for half an hour.
8. To assemble Falooda, take the chilled serving glass and add a generous tablespoon of rose syrup.
9. Add 2 tbsp of jelly cubes, followed by 2 heaped tablespoons of bloomed Falooda seeds.
10. Next layer with 1/4 cup of Falooda sev.
11. Slowly pour the chilled rose milk till 3/4th of the glass.
12. Next add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on top.
13. Finally, drizzle some rose syrup, garnish with sliced nuts and a cherry.
14. Serve immediately to avoid the ice cream from melting and over flowing.

Tips for Falooda

One can add chopped fruits of choice like apple and mango after layering with jelly cubes.

Falooda sev can be substituted with normal wheat vermicelli. Cook the vermicelli in water and little sugar and drain the water.

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