Red jelly, basil seeds, and vermicelli are layered in a tall serving glass. This is followed by a drizzle of rose syrup and a scoop of Kulfi or plain ice cream. Chilled half and half and some chopped pistachios finish the delicious chilled dessert.
Why you’ll love this recipe
A perfect summer dessert - This ice-cold South Asian dessert is one of the most refreshing things you’re likely to try. The flavors, aromatics, and textures play together to make each sip and bite of the falooda delightful. A super easy recipe - This is a super easy recipe to put together. The only real “cooking” involved is soaking the rice noodles and basil seeds. Showstopper - The layered ingredients and shades of color in the Falooda make it a beautiful dessert for your guests, just like my date dessert recipe. Perfect after a spicy meal - There’s nothing better than a glass full of Falooda after a plate of spicy Mutton Biryani, Nihari, or Tawa Fry Beef Keema. Lots of recipe variations - Small changes to a few ingredients can help change the flavor and adapt this ice cream dessert recipe to various dietary needs.
The ingredients
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
Try different Noodles - There are 3 options to choose from for the Falooda noodles. The traditional cornstarch ones, rice noodles, or thin wheat vermicelli. You can use whatever is more easily accessible. Substitute the basil seeds - Chia seeds make a good substitute for basil seeds. The flavor isn’t as fruity and chia tastes a little more gelatinous but in a pinch, they work. Substitute the rose syrup - Can’t access rose syrup? Take store-bought strawberry syrup and add some rose water/extract to it. Use no more than ¼ tsp per 1 cup of syrup as too much can be overwhelming. Use different ice cream flavors - I like the traditional Falooda with Kulfi and rose syrup, but there are plenty of other options. Just use different ice cream and syrup flavors to create your own variations. Add some sugar to the liquid base- I find that the rose syrup makes my Falooda sweet enough for me. However, if you feel the need you can always add some sugar to the half and half
Step-by-step instructions
Expert Tips
Always Resoak any leftover rice noodles - Anytime I reuse leftover rice noodles from the fridge for my Falooda, I resoak them in hot water. The cold temperature makes them a little hard and chewy and resoaking them in hot water restores their texture. Cut the noodles into small pieces after soaking them - Traditional Falooda noodles come packaged in small pieces. If you’re using rice noodles, they need to be cut so they’re easier to eat. The easiest way to do this is to soak them first and then use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to cut them. Use basil seeds for best results - Basil seeds work best for this recipe and if you can source them easily I highly recommend it. If you’re concerned about having a full bag of leftover basil seeds, Healthline.com has some great ideas on how to use them. I personally love to add them to my juice recipes like my Fresh homemade mango juice. They add a delicious taste and texture to all beverages. Make sure to chill everything well - Chilli the serving glasses and all of your ingredients before you start to assemble the dessert. It takes some time to layer and plate the Falooda and this one step will keep everything nice and cold right to the end.
Other dessert recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
