Falooda; a popular cold dessert in Pakistan is a traditional cuisine prepared from mixing rose syrup, vermicelli noodles and sweet basil seeds added with pieces of jelly and milk. This flavorsome dessert is a must-have during summers.
The origins of falooda dates back to the Mughal empire where many rulers patronized the dessert and it soon became a royal drink.
Today the flavours and taste versions of falooda are plenty. Some are made without noodles and blended with fruit. Some prefer dry fruits added to the drink including almonds, pistachios and walnuts.
Synonym to a milk-shake, sometimes vanilla ice-cream is added to it as well. Rooh-Afza, a popular sweet drink and condensed sweet milk is used for added taste.
Kulfi Falooda is another popular dish, drizzled with rose syrup and served with kulfi (an ice-cream made from reduced milk, sugar, nuts and saffron). This dish is properly referred to as ‘kulfi falooda’ but it is often just called falooda.
Falooda is also a drink cum dessert. It is alternatively sipped and eaten with a spoon.
A distinctive ingredient of falooda is turkmaria or basil seeds. These are soaked in water prior to use causing them to swell and become like a soft jelly. When used in falooda it serves more as a textural component than flavor element. Turkmaria is reputed to have various health benefits such as aiding digestion, cooling the body, relieving
stress and minimizing appetite.