September 4, 2021

Burmese Falooda

Story and Origin of Burmese Falooda

Burmese Flalooda is a milky beverage that originated in India, served in a tall glass with basil seeds, sugar syrup and ice cream and it comes in many varieties and you can’t go wrong with what you choose to add to it. In Burma, you add a lump of delicious custard flan and it becomes Burmese Falooda. This drink is served cold so you must prepare and chill all the components beforehand.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

For the flan	8 tbsp. caster sugar
410g tin of evaporated milk	397g tin of condensed milk
3 eggs	1 tsp vanilla extract
1 packet of strawberry jelly	75g small (1–2mm) tapioca pearls
25g basil seeds (optional, but add texture)	Red rose syrup, such as Rooh Afza
1 liter whole milk	6 scoops of vanilla ice cream
Ice (optional)

Recipe

Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 because for this recipe, you’ll need an ovenproof dish that measures about 20cm by 20cm and is at least 6cm deep (the shape doesn’t matter).
For the flan, in a non-stick pan melt sugar over medium heat, keep a close eye as it turns to a caramel and shake the pan gently so that sugar melts evenly.
Pour the golden brown sugar into the ovenproof dish, tilt the caramel and spread it evenly and set it to cool.
Then, combine the evaporated and condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla in a jug and pour over the caramel and now cook it for 1 hour in the oven with a sheet of foil over the dish and once made, take it from the oven and put in the refrigerator once cooled from the oven.
In the meantime, prepare the strawberry jelly – follow the packet instructions, pour into a dish and chill and you must boil the water when adding the tapioca pearls and stir intermittently as they tend to stick to the bottom as they cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent.
Pour plenty of cold water over the tapioca after it has cooked (to prevent the pearls from sticking together). Discard the water after draining.
The basil seeds will swell up into crunchy miniature ‘spawn’ after soaking in cold water for 10 minutes.
Now, you can assemble the falooda in large glasses as soon as the flan is cool (room temperature will do if your patience is lacking) and the strawberry jelly is set.
Put 2–3 tablespoons of rose syrup in the bottom of each glass, then a dollop of tapioca pearls, dried basil seeds, if using, strawberry jelly, flan, and vanilla ice cream in order to make your Falooda tasty and presentable.
Serve, reminding your eager recipients of the need to stir the drink before taking a sip. Pour over milk and break up some ice if you like (if there’s room).