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Bastani (saffron ice cream): photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK — CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Desserts

Bastani (saffron ice cream)

An Iranian ice cream made from cream and milk, flavoured with saffron, vanilla and rose water and topped with pistachios. Its texture is particularly soft and stretchy thanks to cooking the base and adding salep or cornflour.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Parfum

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

Instructions

  1. Steep the saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm milk for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the rest of the milk with the cream and the seeds of the vanilla pod until just simmering.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar, cornflour and salt until pale and creamy.
  4. Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while whisking, then return everything to the pan.
  5. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the custard coats the back of a spoon.
  6. Add the saffron infusion and rose water, mix, then let cool completely in the fridge for 4 hours.
  7. Churn the cream in an ice cream maker according to the instructions, fold in the crushed pistachios towards the end of churning, and store in the freezer.

Variations and tips

Without an ice cream maker. Freeze the base in a tin, whisking every 30 minutes for 3 hours to keep it creamy.

Using what's available here. Vanilla can be replaced with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract; rose water can be found in Middle Eastern grocery shops.

More ideas

Faloodeh (faludeh)35 min · 4 serv. · budget-friendlySholezard (saffron and cardamom rice)55 min · 4 serv.Shirin polo (sweet rice with fruit and almonds)1 h 20 · 4 serv.Pooladi (poolaki)30 min · 10 serv.Sheermal (Persian saffron bread)37 min · 6 serv. · budget-friendlyQottab (almond fritters)45 min · 6 serv.Masghati (mastic pudding)30 min · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyKolompeh (kolompe)1 h · 6 serv. · budget-friendly

Original Ecomely recipe.