Falooda with kulfi, rose syrup, and basil seeds (sabja seeds) | |
| Course | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Milk, rose syrup, vermicelli, sweet basil |
A falooda is a Mughlai cuisine version of a cold dessert made with noodles.[1][2] It has origins in the Persian dish faloodeh, variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia.[3] Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds with milk, often served with ice cream.[4] The vermicelli used for preparing falooda is made from wheat,[5] arrowroot, cornstarch, or sago.[6]
The origin of falooda goes back to Iran (Persia), where a similar dessert, Faloodeh, was popular.[7] The dessert came to late Medieval India with the many Central Asian dynasties that invaded and settled in South Asia in the 16th to 18th century.[7] The present form of falooda was developed in the Mughal Empire and spread with its conquests. The Persianate rulers who succeeded from the Mughals patronized the dessert with their own adaptations, specifically in Hyderabad Deccan and the Carnatic areas of present-day India.[2] This dessert is now a part of Indian cuisine, Pakistani cuisine, Bangladeshi cuisine and Sri Lankan cuisine and is served on weddings and other occasions.
In idiomatic Hindustani, faluda is sometimes used as a reference to something that has been shredded, which is an allusion to the vermicelli noodles. For example, someone who falls into disrepute might say that his or her izzat has been turned to faluda (Hindi: इज़्ज़त का फ़ालूदा, Urdu: عزت کا فالودہ, romanized: izzat ka faluda), which is roughly equivalent to saying "my reputation is shot".[8]
