Turkish Dondurma (Stretchy Ice Cream) Recipe
Dondurma, also known as Maraş ice cream, originated in the city of Kahraman Maras, which gives the dish its name.This unique ice cream is commonly sold by street vendors who display it proudly, as it resists melting. Vendors often entertain customers—especially tourists—with playful tricks while serving dondurma. The ice cream is typically hung on meat hooks and served in waffle cones. Dondurma refers to all Turkish ice creams made with ingredients like salep (ground orchid tuber), cream, mastic (a plant resin), whipped cream, and sugar.
Ingredients
- Mastic beads – 1 tsp
- Salep mixture – ⅓ cup
- Milk – 3 cups
- Cream – 1 cup
- Caster sugar – ¾ cup
- Ground cinnamon (to garnish)
- Finely chopped pistachios (to garnish)
Instructions
- Begin by taking the mastic beads and putting them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take them out and shift them in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add a little bit of sugar and finely grind.
- Now, take 1/2 cup of milk and add salep in it. Mix until it completely dissolves.
- It’s time to take a large skillet and add cream to it. Pour in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of milk. Allow it to heat over a low-medium flame. Throw in the mastic and combine well.
- Next, add the salep combination to the skillet.
- Once done, it’s time to “stretch” the prepared combination. Scoop some of it up with a ladle and pour it back into the skillet from a height. Continue this process for about 20 minutes. Make sure the blend becomes dense by the end of it. If it’s not, keep repeating the method. This will help give the dessert a chewier texture.
- Do it for an additional 20 minutes.
- Now, take a bowl and transfer the prepared mixture to it. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and set it aside to cool.
- After it has completely cooled, transfer the blend to an ice cream machine and allow it to process until it is nearly frozen.
- The next step is to grease a bread pan. Remember to line it with plastic foil before transferring the mix to the pan. Once done, cover it with foil paper. Keep it in the freezer for the entire night.
- Remove the prepared ice cream from the freezer just five minutes prior to serving. Get rid of the foil, cut the ice cream into 1-inch-thick slices, and serve on dessert plates. Add some pistachios and cinnamon on top, and you’re done!
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 10gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 169mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35g
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