If you have ever eaten a falooda, you would know that it is perfect for a hot summer.
Decorated in hues of green, blue or pink sugar syrup, falooda is a drink and a dessert mixed together. However, the origins of this dish will tell you that it isn’t the same sweet version you eat today, the original recipe is simpler in taste, comprising two ingredients.
To understand its journey, we must first go to Iran, the birthplace of ice cream.
A scoop of history
Faloodeh or paludeh, as it is known in Iran, was first introduced in 400 BC. Back then, the Iranian Empire was used to eating an ancient version of the sorbet, which was made with collected ice and grape juice. As time passed, this ice-cold sweet treat had caught the taste buds of many, but it wasn’t possible to curb a craving after the summer months.
So, Iranians decided to opt for a more permanent solution, they built yakhchals. These massive, domed ice houses were built with thick mud walls, which had underground storage areas and coned roofs. Since the construction was heat-resistant, they were able to preserve large amounts of ice all year round.
Over time, while majority Iranians continued to enjoy bowlfuls of sorbet, some decided to tweak the recipe with a few additional ingredients. The faloodeh, took its form after starch was combined with sugar syrup and ice. Local ice cream parlours still continue to make this traditional dish and continues to be a summertime favourite in Iran.
Faloodeh was consumed primarily during Ramadan, as the starch in the faloodeh allows the body to fast longer and the rest of the ingredients keep the body cool
Gulf News Food spoke to Abol Fazl, the Sous Chef at Shabestan, a restaurant that specialises in Iranian cuisine, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. “Faloodeh is usually eaten to keep the body cool and also used for relaxing your mind, various combinational syrups are used depending on the requirement, however, this version became popular due to the taste. It [faloodeh] was consumed primarily during Ramadan, as the starch in the faloodeh allows the body to fast longer and the rest of the ingredients keep the body cool.”
A modern version of the faloodeh was eventually made when the starch used was converted to a noodle-like form, which we all fondly know as vermicelli today. The vermicelli was hand pressed initially, and were later made using machines. “Starch from rice or potatoes is boiled, cooled and pressed in a machine to get noodles, it is then dried.”
Despite being a solution for the summer, the faloodeh still lacked stronger flavour.
Adding flavour and colour
The taste of paludeh really depends on what you serve it with. Pomegranate, mulberry, or rose are appropriate Iranian flavours
“The taste of paludeh really depends on what you serve it with. On its own, it has no flavour but the noodles come alive as soon as you serve them over ice cream such as saffron ice cream. You can also serve it over a granita made with your choice of fruit syrup. Pomegranate, mulberry, or rose are appropriate Iranian flavours,” explained London-based chef and cookbook author Anissa Helou, who specialises in Middle Eastern cuisine.
As Helou said, traditional faloodeh needs a flavour enhancer while consuming. So, several Iranian shopkeepers decided to serve it as a combined dessert dish, adding essences and flavoured syrups in a large glass. “The cold dessert, was made up of special rice noodles, rose water, sugar syrup, saffron extract, lemon juice and topped with ice cream, called Bastani. Between the 16th to 18th centuries, many combinations evolved and was served with dressings like saffron, lemon juice,” said Chef Abol.
Ice cream was also manually made in Iran during this time. Before machines came into play, there were two large pots, each filled with milk and ice. The pot of milk was smaller in size, compared to the pot of ice because the milk would be placed inside the pot of ice. The cold from the ice was transferred to the pot of milk by repeatedly rotating the pot by hand.
This process would crystallise the milk, gradually turning them into ice cream. However, since this was a time-consuming process, many people in Iran didn’t opt for this method and it disappeared in Iran, until Italy claimed the title of being the birthplace of modern ice cream in the 17th century.
Iran stuck to their traditional recipe, but amped it up by adding different hues of food colouring. Food colouring was added to the sugar syrups with added essences to also give it a sensory meaning. For example, rose flavours were depicted with pink, green for sour, yellow for mango flavoured, and so on. It was also between this time period, when faloodeh travelled and reached India.
Faloodeh versus Falooda
When faloodeh came to India with the Mughals, it took on a new name, and was eaten differently. Falooda, became one among India’s most favourite desserts thereon.
It is history in a glass, a dish eaten by royals; several kingdoms have come and gone, but the falooda continues to satisfy stomachs and hearts.
“Falooda came to medieval India, with the many Central Asian dynasties, which invaded and settled in the Indian subcontinent between the 16th to 18th centuries,” explained Iranian-Indian Chef Mohammed Ali of India Bistro in Dubai. “The dessert has a milk base.”
Made primarily with milk, the Indian falooda also uses ice cream, sabja or basil seeds, jelly, rose syrup and vermicelli, and is served with endless combinations. “Falooda is a reminder of my childhood, personally. It is not at all hard to make it as well, especially because the ingredients are readily available across shops. All you need is a spoon and a thirst for adventure, because this dish combines different flavours of the world. It is history in a glass, a dish eaten by royals; several kingdoms have come and gone, but the falooda continues to satisfy stomachs and hearts.”
When the Mughals made falooda in the royal kitchens, it was mixed with an existing dessert, which is fondly known as kulfi today. Unlike how the Iranian ice cream was made, kulfi is made using condensed milk with the addition of saffron and pistachios, which were then packed in metal cones and stored in clay pots until ready to be consumed.
Falooda always brings a happy memory for me especially because I was away from home at the time, and I was exploring the city when I came across this dish in Mumbai. I’d love to go back to Juhu and have falooda once again from there, but I can’t find the vendor anymore.
Today, falooda has found favour among many the world over, with restaurants serving more than one version. “I had falooda for the first time in 2016. I had it from a vendor with a small cart, who served this dessert right outside Juhu beach in Mumbai, India. He served it in a tall plastic glass, and it had five different flavours of ice cream, topped with dried nuts, tutti fruitti or candied fruit, sevaiyyan or vermicelli and the key ingredient, basil seeds or sabza. Given the portion of how the falooda was served, I was very surprised when I found out it was just 40 Rupees (Dh2, approximately). Falooda always brings a happy memory for me especially because I was away from home at the time, and I was exploring the city when I came across this dish in Mumbai. I’d love to go back to Juhu and have falooda once again from there, but I can’t find the vendor anymore. However, the one they serve at Badshah Cold Drinks on Crawford Market, Mumbai comes close,” said 27-year-old Mumbai-based Gulf News reader, Athulya Sridhar, who works as the manager of a digital marketing firm.
For those in the UAE, falooda is an emotion and many make it a point to have the famed dessert, as and when the opportunity arises. The dessert is served popularly in cafeterias across the seven Emirates and comes with creative names as well.
In Dubai, the one I like best is from a place called Kulfilicious. The Shahi falooda there is amazing
“I love falooda because it’s creamy and sweet and there are all these different textures. It’s a delightful blend of textures and flavours in one dish. In Dubai, the one I like best is from a place called Kulfilicious. The Shahi falooda there is amazing,” said Gaurav Karan, a 37-year-old Indian expatriate, who works as an IT professional in Dubai.
The Hyderabadi falooda, is traditionally made using cream or malai, milk, chia seeds, ice cream and rooh afza. It is then topped with nuts to give it that ‘crunch’ factor.
However, for some expats, falooda brings to mind memories from childhood. “I’ve been eating falooda since I was five years old. I am from Hyderabad, and the falooda they serve over there is quite different from the ones served here – maybe because it is made in such a way that it is suited for the Middle Eastern palate,” explained 39-year-old Dubai-based Indian expatriate, Syed Akheel Hassan Bilgrami, who works as the creative director of an advertising agency.
“The Hyderabadi falooda, is traditionally made using cream or malai, milk, chia seeds, ice cream and rooh afza. It is then topped with nuts to give it that ‘crunch’ factor. It’s a richer version from what you get here, because the falooda over here has a lot more ingredients. In Dubai I do, however, like the falooda they serve at Hot ‘n’ Spicy restaurant and even Puranmal has a good glass as well.”
Has this story got you craving a glass of falooda? Try out these recipes and make it at home from scratch: Iranian Sweet Faloodeh Noodles, Iranian Faloodeh and Indian Falooda.
Share your food stories and recipes with us on food@gulfnews.com
