Jigarthanda Milk
Jigarthanda (literally "heart-cooling") is a milk-based beverage to cool the body in summer. It is a kind of street food, and it originated in Madurai, India.
- Prep
- 52 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 2 min
- Total
- 2 hr 54 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Wash and soak almond gum in the water for 3–4 hours or overnight. It should expand in size and form a jelly.
Procedure
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Procedure
Wash and crush the sarsaparilla root.
Procedure
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the sarsaparilla.
Procedure
Reduce the heat, and simmer until the water is reduced by half.
Procedure
Add the sugar, and cook until you get a one-string syrup.
Procedure
Cool the syrup, then store in air-tight container.
Procedure
Boil the milk, stirring continuously until it is frothy. Collect the malai (thick cream) that forms.
Procedure
Beat the fresh cream, and stir it into the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Procedure
Stir in the ¼ cup sugar until completely dissolved.
Procedure
Add the milk solids, and mix well. Let cool slightly.
Procedure
Heat the 2 tbsp sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat until it melts and caramelizes.
Procedure
Quickly and carefully add the hot milk mixture. It will sizzle. If the caramel seizes, keep heating it and it will melt in slowly.
Procedure
Let cool, then pour into an airtight container and cover it with cling wrap. Freeze for 4–5 hours.
Procedure
Once it sets, beat it well using a whisk or a blender. Repeat 3–4 times for creamier ice cream.
Procedure
Freeze for 5–6 hours.
Procedure
Simmer the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until it is thickened and reduced to half its volume. Collect the malai (thick cream) that forms, and reserve it.
Procedure
In another pan, gently heat the sugar until it melts and caramelizes.
Procedure
Stir the caramel into the milk. Mix it well until it is fully dissolved and the milk turns golden in color.
Procedure
Simmer the milk for 10 minutes.
Procedure
Let it cool and keep it in fridge.
Procedure
Add 1–2 tbsp soaked almond gum and 1 tbsp sarsaparilla syrup to a tall glass.
Procedure
Add enough jigarthanda milk to fill the glass ¾ full.
Procedure
Add a scoop of the jigarthanda ice cream.
Procedure
Top with the collected malai, and serve immediately.
Photo: Safeena Haslyn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 25 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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