Recipes to cool you down when the weather heats up

Kulfi, or unchurned Indian ice cream, is a summer staple that you can whip up at home without an ice cream maker. It's rich and creamy, and it's usually full of nuts in some form. The most common flavors are malai (plain), badam (almond) and pistachio. Although you can make kulfi at home, you might just want to save time and pick up a quart for these refreshing South Asian sundaes. Stick to the flavors mentioned; avoid the newfangled mango and chocolate versions, since they won't complement the rose syrup in this Indian recipe.

Kulfi is commonly sold on the street in India, in traditional terracotta molds (matkas) that impart their own unique flavor. The dish is of Pakistani origin and is one of those old-fashioned desserts that are falling out of favor. That's unfortunate, because kulfi has so many unique and interesting flavors and textures, part of which you'll sip through a straw and part of which you'll slurp off a spoon. It's delicious and refreshing and will bring back memories of childhood treats like root beer floats!

Kulfi Falooda Sundae
Serves 4
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2 teaspoons falooda seeds or takmaria (basil) seeds
8 ounces Chinese noodles or falooda sev
4 cups milk
4 to 6 tablespoons rooafzah syrup (available in any Indian food store)
Crushed ice
1 quart kulfi
Chopped nuts, for garnish

Soak the falooda seeds in water for at least 1 hour. Set aside. Boil the noodles or falooda sev in water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and add 2 cups of milk. Simmer over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until the noodles are soft. Immediately transfer the noodles to an ice bath to cool.
To assemble, set out 4 tall, clear glasses. To each, add a quarter of the noodles, 1 tablespoon rooafzah, 1/2 cup of milk, a quarter of the seeds and a little crushed ice. Stir. (Rooafzah is very sweet, so you don't need any additional sugar.) Top off the glass with 2 small scoops of kulfi and pour a little rooafzah along the sides. Garnish with chopped nuts.