Make the carrot kesar base

Preparation of kesar milk:

• Take a cleaned mortar, add saffron or kesar strands. With the help of pestle, crush the strands to fine powder. Now add hot milk to this crushed kesar. Close and keep this aside until we prepare carrot for base.

Cooking carrot:

• Heat a pan and add grated carrot, fry for few seconds. Add half the quantity of milk mentioned in the recipe. Cook the carrot until it becomes soft. Cool this mixture.
• At this point we can use the cooked carrot as it is or grind it completely. I have ground half the quantity of cooked carrot and kept the other half as it is.
• You can puree it into fine paste or into coarse paste. Keep this aside until we make the ice cream base.

Preparation of ice cream base:

• To make the ice cream base we are cooking the carrot and saffron together. Follow the below steps.
• Heat the saucepan, add milk, next add in the milk powder. Mix well and cook for few seconds. Next add in the cooked carrot paste and cooked grated carrot.
• As the entire mixture is cooking together, add the soaked kesar or saffron milk. Cook the mixture with continuously stirring.
• Cook until the milk evaporates, and mixture thickens. This way of cooking the carrot and saffron milk together brings out the maximum flavors from both.
• Cool the mixture and add condensed milk to this. Mix well. Carrot kesar ice cream base is ready.
• Let’s whip the fresh cream for making ice cream.

Whipping the cream:

• Below is the method I follow to get the perfect whipped cream from fresh cream in less than 5 minutes.
• Whipping the fresh cream needs all the required items to be chilled before whipping. So, we need to refrigerate the fresh cream, and keep the whipping blades, medium sized bowl in freezer (for whipping) for 2 to 3 hours.
• If the temperature is high, you will not get good results.
• I have used 30% fat Amul fresh cream. High fat fresh cream can also be used. High fat whips fast and you will get peaks soon.
• If you are using fresh cream tetrapack, then refrigerate it upright, so that water content remains at the bottom. We need thick cream for whipping, that can be scrapped out from top.
• Take a big mixing bowl, add few ice cubes (these help to maintain cold condition). Keep the chilled bowl on the ice cubes. Pour the chilled cream into this chilled bowl.
• Start whipping at low speed in the beginning. Next whip at high speed for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. We get soft peaks that is good enough for this ice cream.

  Stop whipping and refrigerate the whipped cream until we prepare the base. If kept at room temperature for long time the whipped cream will deflate. Do not whip for long, the cream curdles, and it results in butter.

Mixing the base with cream:

• The next step here is mixing the carrot kesar milk base with whipped cream. Gently mix the two using a spatula. Close the ice cream mixture and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
• When ice cream starts to thicken, remove from freeze and whip for 40 to 60 seconds. Since we add grated cooked carrot, they tend to settle at the bottom, if we whip it, they get distributed evenly in the ice cream.

  The other reason is this also helps to remove any ice crystal formation at the surface.

Freezing the ice cream:

• The ice cream mixture is closed and transferred back to freezer. Its frozen until you can easily scoop the ice cream easily.

How to store

• Like any other ice cream, carrot kesar ice cream is best stored in a freezer. Carrot kesar ice cream can be stored in freezer upto a week.
• It’s always good to store the finished ice cream in freezer wrapped well. When you plan to serve, take it out for 5 minutes to give a bit of thaw, making it easy to scoop later. Place back the ice cream in freezer covered. Do not keep for long time at room temperature, this changes the texture of ice cream.

How to serve

• Scoop out carrot kesar ice cream, serve it in a bowl or in waffle cones. Serve and enjoy immediately with you friends and family.
• This can be also be served with some nuts or chocolate sauce. If you love some fresh carrot gratings, then top the scoop with grated carrot. You can enjoy with warm brownies or gulab jamun.
• You can also top with some chocolate chips.