Scoop, sip, slurp – it’s Falooda time.
As the Indian summer blazes in full swing, nothing can beat the refreshing charm of a tall glass of chilled falooda. This iconic, layered, colourful, dessert is loaded with irresistible textures and flavours. Welcome to the Falooda Fiesta—your ultimate guide to India’s favourite summer dessert!
This is a cold dessert prepared from vermicelli (often made of cornstarch or arrowroot), soaked basil seeds (sabja), rose syrup, milk, ice cream, and sometimes jelly or fresh fruits. It’s traditionally served in a tall glass and eaten with a spoon and straw—yes, you slurp and scoop!
Originally inspired by the Persian dessert named Faloodeh, the Indian version has evolved over the years into a richer, more indulgent dessert. Meanwhile, the current version is more inspired by the Mughal culinary culture.
Each spoonful of falooda is a symphony of flavours and textures. Following are the ingredients that makes Falooda so tasty:
Sabja seeds: The tiny black basil seeds puff up when soaked and provide a cooling effect—perfect for beating the heat. Apart from cooling your body, Sabja seeds aid digestion and weight loss.
Vermicelli: Soft and silky noodles add volume and fun to each bite.
Rose syrup: This is a star ingredient that gives falooda its iconic pink hue and floral aroma.
Chilled milk: Acts as the base and binds other ingredients.
Ice cream: Vanilla or kulfi are the best for creamy richness in Falooda glass.
Optional add-ons: Jelly cubes, dry fruits, fresh fruits like mango or strawberries, or even rabri for extra decadence.
India, the land of diversity, has some regional favorites:
Royal Kulfi Falooda (Delhi/Mumbai): Thick kulfi is used to prepare this special Falooda topped with dry fruits and saffron syrup.
Fruit Falooda: To get abundant nutrition and flavour in summer, often chopped fruits like apple, banana, mango, and pomegranate are added.
Chocolate Falooda: Do you have a sweet tooth? Chocolate syrup and brownie chunks bring a dessert-parlour twist to Falooda.
Dry Fruit Falooda: Packed with almonds, cashews, raisins, and pistachios—rich and indulgent.
Want to know the best places to taste Falooda in India? Visit Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
2 tbsp sabja seeds
1 cup boiled falooda sev
2 tbsp rose syrup
1½ cups chilled milk
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Chopped nuts for garnish
Begin with soaking sabja seeds in water for half an hour beforehand until they swell. Now, you need to boil falooda sev as per instructions on the packet and rinse with cold water. Take a tall glass, layer rose syrup, soaked sabja, sev, and milk. Top with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with fruits and nuts. Serve it chilled and enjoy your homemade falooda fiesta!
Nowadays, Falooda has become so famous that you’ll find falooda milkshakes and falooda cakes.
Whether you're at a local street food stall, a posh dessert café, or your kitchen, falooda is the ultimate Indian summer indulgence. So this summer, ditch the unhealthy soda and embrace colourful, cooling, and comforting Falooda.
