The temperatures have risen, and I am in the mood for a cooling ice cream. The golden Yellow Bastani Sonati – Persian Saffron Ice Cream is one of the most popular ice creams in Iran. Whether young or old, men or women, everyone loves Bastani Sonati – Persian Saffron Ice Cream. Bastani means ice cream, and Sonati is traditional, so translated, it means traditional Persian ice cream. Nothing is better in the heat than having the aromatic saffron ice cream melt in your mouth. In Bastani are little frozen pieces of cream and pistachio slivers hidden. As a child, and even today, I still get excited when I discover a tasty bite of delicious frozen cream or a slivered pistachio in the ice cream.

HOMEMADE BASTANI SONATI

Throughout Tehran, we have a lot of ice cream stores that sell Bastani, but many Persians also prepare it at home, as there is nothing better than fresh homemade Bastani. Last summer, I made saffron ice cream without eggs; today I have a recipe with eggs. In my saffron ice cream, I add lots of egg yolks, milk, frozen cream pieces, a touch of rose water, real saffron, pistachio sticks, and sugar.

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY ICE CREAM

You do not necessarily need an ice cream maker for my Bastani recipe. Pour the ice cream into a bowl with a lid, place it in the freezer for about 3 hours, and stir the mixture every half hour until creamy.

The eggs and cream should be fresh. I buy the eggs and cream from an organic farm.

Take care not to boil the milk while heating it, otherwise, the eggs will curdle, and the ice cream will no longer become creamy.

Sugar will affect the consistency of the final ice cream. Ideally, use very finely ground sugar to obtain a creamy ice cream.

Be sure to pass the mixture through a sieve.

Stir the ice cream cold constantly to make it nice and creamy. For this purpose, place the bowl with the warm ice mixture in a bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes. Stir the ice cream mixture using a whisk until it cools down.

Consume your homemade Bastani quickly. If stored for a longer time, it will lose flavor and creaminess. The homemade Bastani will keep for a week in the freezer.

TYPES OF ICE CREAM IN IRAN

Bastani Akbar Mashti – Akbar Mashti became famous throughout the country in the 1950s for his ice cream. His son prepares this delicious ice cream still today, according to his father’s original recipe.

Bastani-e Nooni – is Saffron ice cream between two crispy waffles, similar to an ice cream sandwich.

Ab Havij Bastani – Carrot Juice Float – is a scoop of saffron ice cream in carrot juice and is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg or other spices.

Faloodeh -is a semi-frozen Sorbet made of rose water and thin rice noodles (vermicelli). Serve it with either Persian cherry syrup or lime juice.

Majoon- Date Ice Cream Shake with Nuts – Dates provide a natural sweetness to this recipe; ripe bananas, vanilla ice cream, and cream add a nice creaminess to the ice cream, and the nuts in and on the ice cream as a topping add crunch.

Yakh dar Behesht-e Anar – Persian Pomegranate Granite 

INGREDIENTS FOR BASTANI SONATI

INGREDIENTS CREAM

250 g cream

3 teaspoons powdered sugar

INGREDIENTS BASTANI SONATI

250 g whole milk

125 g sugar

6 egg yolks

3-5 saffron threads*

1 tsp rose water*

3 tsp pistachio slivers

a bowl of prepared ice cubes

PREPARATION BASTANI SONATI

PREPARATION CREAM

Mix the cream well with powdered sugar.

Pour on a tray in a thin layer and freeze in the freezer.

PREPARATION BASTANI SONATI

Heat the milk with 1 tsp of sugar, do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Mix the egg yolks with the remaining sugar with a mixer. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg yolk-sugar mixture. So the eggs get used to the temperature and do not curdle.

Now heat the ice cream mixture in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring evenly with a wooden spoon, until it becomes creamy (about 5 minutes). Again, the mixture should not boil, or the eggs will curdle.

Remove from heat.

Dissolve saffron threads in 1 tsp hot water, add to the pot with the rose water, and mix well.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl.

Add a bit of cold water and ice cubes to another bowl.

Place the bowl with the strained mixture on the bowl of water and ice and stir regularly with a whisk until the ice cools down.

Now pour the ice cream into an ice cream maker, or add it to a bowl with a lid and place it in the freezer.

VERSION WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER

If you have chosen the 2nd version, remove the ice cream from the freezer every half hour within 3 hours, stir well, and return it to the freezer.

The last time you stir, take the frozen cream pieces out of the freezer, break them into small pieces, and add them to the ice cream.

Add pistachio slivers and stir again and return to the freezer.

VERSION WITH ICE CREAM MAKER

If you prepare the ice cream in the ice cream maker, add the frozen cream pieces and the pistachio sticks just before the ice cream sets.

They should remain in small pieces.

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

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