Strawberry Falooda Recipe

 Strawberry falooda is a refreshing summer treat. This pudding-like chilled dessert is beautifully layered in tall glasses with a strawberry crush, gulkand (rose petal jam) flavored milk, fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and nuts. The sabja seeds and gulkand provide a cooling effect to the body and the falooda sev adds to the different textures in the layers of the dessert. Strawberry falooda with gorgeous shades of pink is a visual treat for sure. One can both drink and eat this utterly delicious dessert. Give this simple recipe a try and awe your loved ones.

What is Falooda?

Falooda is a multilayered dessert, quite popular in the Indian subcontinent. One can both drink and eat this summer coolant beverage cum dessert. Traditionally falooda is prepared by mixing rose syrup, milk, jelly or custard, falooda sev, and falooda seeds (sweet basil seeds). The dessert could be topped with chopped fruits, nuts, and ice cream. There are many variations to it and falooda can be made using pulpy fruits like mangoes, papaya or seasonal berries. 

Last time I had made Mango falooda and it was a big hit at my place. Trying out a strawberry falooda was on my mind for quite a long time. Aai dada (my in-laws) have come over here in Mohali to spend some time with us. Chinu is so happy with their arrival and he is enjoying his session break thoroughly in their company. To welcome them I made this gorgeous dessert and they just loved it. If you too love strawberries, as we do  (i mean who doesn't love these gorgeous beauties loaded with healthy goodness), this falooda is a must-try. So before the official strawberry season in India comes to an end, do try your hands with this delectable dessert.

What goes into my version of Strawberry Falooda? The Ingredients:

• Strawberry Crush: I had a strawberry crush from Mapro, Mahabaleshwar ready at hand so used it here. You may prepare strawberry crush at home (simply blend fresh strawberry chunks with sugar to get a puree) or add  Rose syrup instead. 
• Sabja Seeds: Sabja seeds are easily available in Indian grocery shops and they somewhat resemble the chia seeds and bloom when coming in contact with water. They have a cooling effect on the body and hence used in summer drinks.
• Falooda Sev: Traditionally, a very thin variety of vermicelli is used to make falooda. I could not source the falooda sev, so used the regular roasted wheat vermicelli instead. 
• Gulkand (Rose Petal Jam): Gulkand (rose petal jam) adds refreshing rose flavors to the milk. You may simply add rose jam or any of your favorite fruit jam to the chilled milk to flavor the milk if you do not have it. I have used homemade gulkand. Click here for the recipe. Fruit jelly can also be added to the falooda, which I have not added.
• Milk: I have used full cream milk. You may use skimmed milk as well.
• Ice-cream: Can use vanilla or strawberry flavored ice cream.
• Fresh Strawberries: Use ripe yet firm strawberries that are sweet for best results.
• Nuts: Any chopped nuts can be used. I have used Pistachio.

Related Event:

This is an old post that i had published in 2017. Today, i have updated the post with new pics and written content, the recipe remains unchanged though. I have many such old posts where i feel the photography is dull or the recipe is not up to the mark (at times we keep on changing our own recipes to make it a better version of it). Such posts need to be updated. All thanks to my dear friend and a fellow blogger Renu, who came up with a Facebook gourmet group, Foodies_redoing Old posts, wherein a group of passionate food bloggers can update their old posts with new photographs and written content fortnightly. This is my 30th entry into the event (5th March). 

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3 glasses

Ingredients: Measurements used : 1 cup = 240 ml

• 1 1/2 cup milk ( i have used full cream milk)
• 6-7 large strawberries
• 1/2 cup falooda sev / wheat vermicelli
• 4 tablespoon strawberry crush / rose syrup
• 3 tablespoon gulkand (rose petal jam)
• 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 2-3 scoops of vanilla or strawberry ice cream
• 2 tablespoon sabja / sweet basil seeds / Tukmaria
• 5-7  unsalted pistachio , chopped

Method:

1. Preparing the Gulkand flavored Milk:

• Bring 1 1/2 cup milk to boil. Add 2 tablespoon sugar followed by gulkand (rose petal jam) and stir well. Allow the milk to cook on low to medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Put off the flame.

• Strain the flavored milk if desired . I have strained as chinmay does not like the cooked petals in his bite). Allow the milk to cook down to room temperature , then cover and  transfer to refrigerator for 20 minutes or until ready to serve. You may entirely avoid cooking the gulkand in milk and simply add rose jam to the chilled milk. This will save time of cooking and then cooling. 

  2.   Preparing the falooda sev:

• Cook the falooda sev or the regular wheat vermicelli as per the instructions given on the packet. 

• Drain excess water using a sieve. Add chilled water to stop further cooking of the sev. Cool and refrigerate until use. 

   3. Preparing the sabja seeds:

• Soak the sabja seeds in 1 cup water for about 20 minutes. The seeds will bloom . Strain the bloomed seeds with a tea strainer and keep aside until use.

   4. Other Preparations:

• Wash , hull and chop the strawberries. Put them in a bowl with 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix and refrigerate until use.
• Chill the falooda serving glasses in the fridge for about 1/2 hour before layering the falooda. Preferably use tall glasses with wide mouth as it shows the layers of the falooda distinctly.

  5. Layering the strawberry falooda:

• To each chilled falooda glasses add 2 tablespoon of strawberry crush or rose syrup, followed by falooda sev / vermicelli. Now gradually add gulkand flavored chilled milk.

• To it add 2 teaspoon of bloomed sabja seeds followed by 1 tablespoon of strawberry chunks. Repeat the layers until the glass is 80 % full. 

• Lastly top the glass with scoop of ice cream , strawberry chunks and chopped pistachio. 

•    Serve the strawberry falooda immediately.

   Notes:

• Rose Syrup , Rooh Afza or home made strawberry crush can be used in this falooda .
• Falooda sev can be replaced with wheat vermicelli .
• Gulkand / Rose Petal Jam can be replaced with any fruit jam.

Would love to hear from you !

I hope you would love trying out this healthy and delicious Strawberry Falooda recipe at home. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work, and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button on the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best each time.

If you like my work and want to be updated with new recipes, do follow us on various social media platforms. My social media handles for your kind reference are as follows.

Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot

Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

Pinterest Handle : https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

 

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right !

 

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

Related Posts:

• Homemade Gulkand / Rose Petal Jam
  

                                   

• Strawberry Jam

                                    

• Homemade Rose Syrup

• Mango Falooda

• Strawberry Rose Lassi