If you live in Mumbai or have lived in Mumbai at some point, chances are that you may have heard of this restaurant called ‘Badshaah’ in Crawford Market which is famous for its varieties of faloodas. Crawford market is essentially a shopping hub, so inevitably you will find a number of people (tired from the shopping) heading to this restaurant for a refreshing glass of faluda. And they serve this beverage in a variety of flavors, like faluda kulfi, rabri falooda, mango faluda, falooda ice cream, kesar falooda, shahi falooda etc, and some seasonal ones like strawberry as well. I have been there countless times, and have mostly ordered this simple basic rose or royal falooda.
I always wanted to recreate this at home, but couldn’t because of the unavailability of the basic ingredients here. An hour’s drive to an Indian grocery store helped me get the tukmaria seeds and rose syrup but was a bit disappointed to know that they didn’t have the faluda sev. Fortunately, my Aunt from Mumbai was to attend her daughter’s graduation in Boston, and asked me if I needed something from India, as she planned to visit us as well during her stay. And faluda sev was on top of my list. So I finally got all my ingredients and managed to make and relish this homemade faluda, reminiscing good ‘ol days with my family and friends. I’m sure if you have never had faluda, you have a couple of questions as these ingredients are pretty unique! Let’s talk about these in details!
WHAT ARE FALOODA SEEDS?
Faluda seeds are sweet basil seeds, known as tukmaria in Hindi. They look like chia seeds and have gelling properties similar to chia seeds, but the two are different.
WHAT ARE FALOODA SEEDS CALLED IN ENGLISH?
The scientific name of Sabja seeds is Ocimum basilicum. Other names are sabja seeds, Arabic falooda seeds, Sabja ginjalu, Thai holy basil, Selashi Tukmaria, Sabja Vethai, Hazbo, Tuk malanga, Basilic cultive, Basilien Kraut, and sweet basil seeds. These seeds are the product of rudra jada plant that comes under Tulsi family but shouldn’t be mistaken with holy basil or Tulsi. {Source-here)
BASIL SEEDS BENEFITS
Basil seeds definitely need to be categorized as a superfood, they offer numerous health benefits.
Helps in weight loss- these tiny seeds are high in fiber. When soaked in water, they expand about 30 times their size. Consuming basil seeds keeps you fuller for longer, which in turn helps you cut down on consuming unwanted calories. Great for the healthy hair and skin-Sabja seeds contain nutrients like vitamin k, iron, and protein, all of which are essential for maintaining healthy hair. Relieves acidity- basil seeds have a cooling effect on the digestive system, so it is good for relieving acidity problems. and so many more, you can read all of them in details here.
WHERE TO BUY SABJA SEEDS?
Like I mentioned above, if you live in US or elsewhere, you should get this easily in any Indian store. If you live in India, I doubt you will have any difficulty in finding these seeds.
HOW TO USE SABJA SEEDS?
Like chia seeds, you need to soak the sabja seeds in sufficient water. You can drain off excess water if any, and use the seeds in any recipe that calls for it.
CAN I EAT SABJA SEEDS DURING PREGNANCY?
My gynac had advised me to eat everything. BUT when in doubt, it is always a good practice to get it cleared! Consult your gynac, what works for some may not work for you. So the net is not your best bet to get answers to this.
SABJA SEEDS SUBSTITUTE
If you can’t find sabja seeds, you may replace it with chia seeds. Both these seeds are tasteless, so it really won’t matter as much. Now that I guess I’ve answered common questions you could probably have about basil seeds, let talk about the other unique ingredient- falooda sev!
WHAT IS FALOODA SEV?
Falooda sev is similar to vermicelli. Commercially, it is available in the dried form, it needs to be rehydrated in hot water, similar to rice noodles. You can make it at home by cooking a thick paste of cornstarch and water, this mixture is then filled in a bhujia maker, and pressed into cold water. It is ready to be used. It is not very difficult to prepare falooda sev at home, but you will require that equipment.
FALOODA SEV SUBSTITUTE
If you can’t find the faluda sev, you can skip it, it doesn’t have a flavor of its own, so it won’t make a difference in terms of flavor, or you can use cooked vermicelli instead or even rice noodles 🙂 Besides faluda sev and sabja seeds, you will require some milk and flavorings of choice along with ice cream and Jell-O cubes to make a specific flavored faluda drink. And guys, if this is too much work for you to find the ingredients for one simple beverage, you can opt for the falooda mix or ready-made falooda packet, that is also easily available in Indian stores abroad and stores in India too. They come in different flavors. You have to cook the mix in the specified amount of milk, cool and serve, that’s it! If you are feeling adventurous to make one, then here is an easy falooda recipe for you 🙂 Enjoy!
ENJOYED THIS HOMEMADE FALOODA? YOU MAY ALSO LIKE,
Mango Falooda
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE INDIAN FALOODA | FALUDA | ROYAL FALOODA
1.In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, keep stirring in between to prevent it from burning at the bottom, Once it comes to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside till it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate until further use. 2.Prepare the jelly as per packet instructions. Let is set in the refrigerator until firm, about 4 hours. 3.Soak 1/2 tablespoon of sweet basil seeds in about 1/2 cup of water, stir it well, and set aside for 30 minutes, Once they swell, drain the excess water in a strainer and set aside. 4.To prepare the falooda sev: Heat 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil. Once it has boiled, add the falooda sev, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes drain the falooda sev using a strainer and transfer to a bowl of cold water, to stop the cooking process further. You can cut the cooked falooda sev in smaller pieces using kitchen scissors.
5.To assemble the faluda: Take a tall glass, add about 2 tablespoons of the sweet basil seeds, 2 tablespoons of falooda sev, 2 tablespoons of rose syrup, 1/4 cup of jelly cubes, pour the chilled and thickened milk, top with vanilla ice cream and some more jelly cubes. You can garnish with nuts. Enjoy this refreshing drink 🙂
NOTES 1.You may 1-2 tbsp sugar whilst boiling the milk. I’ve not added sugar as the rose syrup is already sweet. 2.Instead of 2 servings, you can make small falooda cups or mini falooda and increase it to 4 servings. This recipe can easily be multiplied for more servings.
HOW TO MAKE FALOODA | FALUDA?
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