Making popsicles is a fun activity for you to indulge in with your friends or the entire family. Kids especially enjoy the process of pouring mixtures into moulds and freezing them. However, it’s not just kids; everyone loves popsicles and they are also fun to serve at a party. They can be very refreshing in summer and allow you to experiment with different ingredients and a variety of flavours.
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From milky to icy, try these popsicle recipes with seven desi flavours. The traditional Indian drinks and desserts will make you nostalgic about the flavour you love and also help you reimagine them in a new, frozen form. delightful way to enjoy traditional Indian tastes in a cool, refreshing form. These popsicles are very easy to make. The ones that do not require any cooking on the gas are also completely safe for children.
To make the popsicles, you will need wooden sticks and popsicle moulds. All popsicles need to be frozen for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight for them to set. To release the popsicles, you will have to run warm water over the outside of the moulds for a few seconds so that the popsicles come out easily. Be careful to make sure they don’t break.
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Mango Lassi Popsicles
Of course, you can drink mango lassi as it is and it will taste great. But giving this traditional Indian beverage an icy makeover can be fun too. In a blender, add mango pulp, yoghurt, milk, honey or sugar, and cardamom powder. If you have saffron at home, you can soak a few strands in milk in a blender. This gives it an aroma and a rich colour. If you don’t have saffron, you can skip it. Bend this until the texture is smooth. Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds. Insert wooden sticks and freeze.
Kesar-Pista Kulfi Popsicles
Give this classic Kesar Pista kulfi a frozen twist. In a pan, boil some milk, then lower the heat and simmer it. Keep stirring it frequently and do this till the mixture reduces to about half its original volume. To this, add some condensed milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk. Stir well again and cook for another 5–10 minutes. Switch off the gas and let the milk cool to room temperature. Add chopped pistachios and almonds. Once it's cooled, you can pour the milk mixture into popsicle moulds.
Masala Chai Popsicles
Frozen chai, anyone? It might sound strange at first but Masala Chai popsicles can taste great and also be fun to make. Make chai like you usually would. In a vessel, boil water. Add ginger, cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, cloves, and black pepper. Boil them together for 5 minutes. You can add tea bags but loose tea adds more flavour.
Add the tea leaves and continue to boil them for another 2–3 minutes. Strain the tea to remove the spices. Add milk, condensed milk, and sugar. Make sure the sugar gets dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then pour it into the mould.
Coconut Rose Popsicles
It was an unusual combination but a delicious one. Try these refreshing coconut rose popsicles, especially on a hot summer afternoon. Remember the cold rose milk you had as children? In this version, coconut milk adds a complexity of flavour that everyone will love. This mix is very simple to make. In a bowl, add coconut milk, rose syrup, and sugar. Stir in the dried rose petals. The coconut rose milk is ready to be frozen and served.
Tamarind Jaggery Popsicles
Traditional ingredients such as tamarind and jaggery appear in an interesting modern avatar in this popsicle. The tangy and sweet flavours come out vividly in this frozen popsicle. To make this, add tamarind pulp, jaggery, and water to a pan. Heat this mixture over medium heat and stir until the jaggery fully dissolves. Finally, to season it, add black salt, cumin powder, and chaat masala and mix it well.
Lychee-Mint Popsicles
With summer, the lychee season is also about to get over. Use the fresh fruit while it lasts. The lychee and mint popsicles are as refreshing as a drink featuring lychee and mint but the popsicle just enhances the freshness of these ingredients. Simply add lychees, mint leaves, sugar, water, and lime juice in a blender. Blend this mixture until it is absolutely smooth. Strain the mixture to remove any pulp.
Falooda Popsicles
The summer favourite, classic Indian Falooda, tastes great in a popsicle. To make the falooda, in a bowl, add milk, sugar, and rose syrup. Stir it until the sugar has fully dissolved. To assemble the falooda, in each popsicle mould, you can add a spoonful of cooked falooda vermicelli and soaked basil seeds. Pour the milk mixture over the sev and sabja (basil seeds) in the moulds.