Desi Ice Cream Delights, Malai Maar Ke

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Malai: A Spicy Innovation

In a city teeming with ice cream options, few brands manage to tell a story with every spoonful. But walk into the Cobble Hill shop of Malai in Brooklyn, NYC, and you’ll quickly realize this isn’t just dessert — it’s heritage, memory, and innovation, all swirled into a pint. At the helm is Pooja Bavishi, a first-generation Indian American whose bold reimagining of ice cream is reshaping the frozen dessert landscape. “Malai is exactly the project I’ve dreamed of my whole life—one that celebrates Indian heritage and culinary traditions in a delicious way for a diverse audience,” explains Bavishi. Now, with the release of her debut cookbook, Malai, Bavishi invites everyone to bring a little bit of her magic home. 

Bavishi’s journey into the world of ice cream began long before Malai’s first scoop was sold. Growing up in North Carolina as the child of Gujarati immigrant parents, Pooja was enchanted by the ritual of her parents brewing chai each morning. “I would ask to smell their chai to soak in all the milky, spiced sweetness rich with ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon,” she recalls. This early fascination with aroma and flavor became a lifelong passion. After earning degrees in public policy, urban planning, and business, Bavishi’s entrepreneurial spirit, nurtured by her parents’ business ventures, found its true calling in desserts. She didn’t see the flavors she loved growing up represented in the foods she bought. 

“Ice cream, in particular, felt like a blank canvas that could hold so many of the spices and sweets from my childhood,” she says.

Rooted Flavors

That realization sparked the idea for Malai. In 2015, armed with an ice cream maker and a vision, and buoyed by her parents, her unofficial R&D team, she decided to make her own creations. Her mother’s suggestions led to the creation of one of Malai’s top sellers—Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds—which she debuted at a local street fair. The response was immediate and enthusiastic. New Yorkers were smitten. 

Malai, which means “cream of the crop” in Hindi, quickly distinguished itself with its small-batch, eggless ice creams, churned with minimal air for a luxuriously creamy texture. From vibrant Sweet Roti & Ghee to Turmeric Honeycomb, Masala Chai, Pineapple Pink Peppercorn, and Gulab Jamun, each offering is rooted in South Asian culinary tradition. “Why shouldn’t it be just as common to find a pint of masala chai in your grocery store freezer as it is to find cookies and cream?” she asks.

Pooja Bavishi shares two recipes from her new cookbook. Here’s how to make the most creamy, unforgettable homemade ice cream.

Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ quarts

This is the most popular Malai ice cream flavor. It’s the only one we never take off the menu. When I created this flavor, which was very early on in the Malai journey, I was unsure about launching it. Rose ice cream was something that was ubiquitous in my childhood, so it makes me nostalgic. But were New Yorkers ready for something this new? I wasn’t sure—until I absolutely was. This flavor’s constant reign at the top never ceases to amaze me. And the best part? It’s pink!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1¼ cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon table salt 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup granulated cane sugar
• ¼ cup rose syrup (see Pooja’s Tip)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup chopped almonds
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

PREPARATION

1. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the cream to make a slurry. Whisk the cream cheese, cinnamon, and salt into the slurry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the remaining cream, the milk, sugar, and rose syrup and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil, whisking constantly, until everything is well incorporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry, mixing well.
3. Return the mixture to a boil over medium heat and boil, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat proof container.
4. Let the base cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to chill. (If you have the time, letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight is ideal.)
5. While the mixture is cooling, prepare the almonds. In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and stir until toasted and a shade darker, 3–4 minutes. Sprinkle with the sea salt, remove from the heat, and let cool completely.
6. Remove the chilled base from the refrigerator and stir to recombine. Transfer the base to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the almonds during the last 5 minutes of churning. 
7. Serve the soft ice cream right away, or place in the freezer to freeze completely.

Blueberry Cardamom Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

This is likely to become your go-to fruit sauce. It’s unbelievably easy to put together, and it goes well on everything: certainly ice cream but also pancakes, oatmeal, waffles, your fingers, a shoe. Bonus: it’s equally delicious with fresh and frozen berries so you can have it all year round. Now that you have it, use it and never let it leave your repertoire.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups blueberries
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

PREPARATION

1. In a wide, shallow pan, combine the blueberries, 2 cups of the water, the sugar, cardamom, and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. While the berry mixture heats, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the remaining 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry.
2. When the berry mixture reaches a boil, stir in the slurry, bring the mixture back to a boil, and boil for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes longer.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before spooning over ice cream. Or let cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Photo Credit:  Morgan Ione Yeager