Royal Rose Falooda
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
One of India’s most popular frozen desserts, if you’ve never tried a Falooda before, your life will change! This Rose Falooda recipe is all-natural with a homemade rose syrup, and this Falooda recipe made with chia seeds, tapioca, and condensed milk so that it’s accessible to everyone!
If you didn’t know, New Delhi summers can get crazy hot - we’re talking mid-forty to even FIFTY degrees Celsius!
On those days I - and most people - stay home with their air conditioners. It’s just too hot to go out! However, if you’re going out for a dessert run where you’ll be in and out of your car, then you should definitely pick up a Falooda! It will be your new favourite way to enjoy a hot day if you don’t already love Falooda!
To follow along with all the steps and ensure you’ve got success when making your Rose Falooda, be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my new video recipes are live! Let’s get to it!
What is a Falooda?
A falooda is a cold drink that originated from the Mughals. The Mughals conceptualized and brought the dessert to India from the Persians, who have a similar dessert that is called Faloodeh. As a result, falooda is an iconic treat that is enjoyed in India and in other parts of South Asia. The core elements of falooda consist of rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds. The ice cream on top really makes this drink incredible and very pleasing on a very hot day! If you want to try something new for this summery season, then be sure to try this Royal Rose Falooda recipe to make India no longer a destination unseen as part of your Live to Cook one month challenge! Get started for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!
Other Types of Falooda
Did you know that the Rose Falooda is also considered the “Royal” falooda? However, that doesn’t mean that any of the options below wouldn’t be amazing! Let me know if you’d like to see these recipes in the future!
Kesar: Saffron-based.
Mango: A must have for mango lovers.
Chocolate: I’ve never had this but I love anything chocolate, so I’m sure this one would be incredible!
Dried-fruit: The base can be cashews, almonds, and/or pistachios, then you would garnish more on top.
What Does Falooda Taste Like?
Believe me, it’s hard to put your finger on it, but here it goes. Falooda is a sweet, aromatic concoction of cardamom, saffron and rose infused sweetness. The texture is creamy, thick and when enjoyed with a straw, the vermicelli, tapioca and chia seeds keep things interesting by constantly introducing their unique soft textures.
Can I Make Falooda in Advance?
The best thing would to prepare all the individual elements in advance, such as the vermicelli, soaking the chia seeds, preparing the tapioca infused milk, rose syrup, etc., so that when it’s time to have falooda, its a quick 5 min process to mix everything and serve. Also, serving it fresh allows you to see all the cool colours infusing into the drink as you prepare it which adds so much to the experience - plus the ice-cream will be still be frozen!
Why You’ll Love This Falooda recipe!
Refreshing: Falooda is the ultimate treat in India to beat the heat! It’s so chilled and loaded with deliciousness, Rose Falooda will get you through the hottest days!
Customizable: While ordering a falooda at a store or food court is fun, you have no control on the amounts of the individual ingredients. If you prefer more or less sweetness, then you’ve got the control to be able to adjust the syrup to just the right amount specifically for you!
All-natural: No jellies or other types of thickening agents will be thrown in here! We’re going natural to give you the best quality falooda and to know exactly what’s going in your body to have the ultimate summer fun!
No niche ingredients: As mentioned earlier, sweet basil seeds are one of the main ingredients in a classic Falooda. However, I’m not sure how many of you reading this have sweet basil seeds, and if not, would want to purchase them just for a single recipe! I didn’t want to do that, so I’ve got some substitutions in this recipe that you most likely already have in your pantry! As I outline in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if you have suitable substitutes, then please use those instead of going out to buy more things! I have tons of chia seeds and I had tapioca on hand, and I think you may have those too! This will save you a grocery trip and the burden of having some seeds you’ll never use in your pantry.
Tools Needed to Make Falooda
Ingredients for Falooda
For all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later, check out the FULL PRINTABLE Recipe Card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many servings of Falooda you want to make, so if you want to make a big batch for a party, then you’ll have just the right amount of everything for best results!
For the Rose Syrup
Edible rose petals: These will be boiled down to make the syrup.
Cane sugar: Use your favourite sweetener, but I’ve been really loving the flavour the cane sugar gives lately. This will sweeten our simple rose syrup.
Water: As needed.
For the Rose Falooda
Milk: Full fat cow’s milk will be my choice here because I love the taste and it gives a creamy result. However, you can use a lower fat dairy milk or even a dairy-free milk if you really want to.
Rose syrup: Your homemade rose syrup that was prepared from above.
Vermicelli: A staple ingredient for Falooda. You’ll boil them in water and then add them to the drink. In a traditional Falooda, the actual ingredient is Falooda sev, but I understand that this is more difficult to find! Using small pieces of vermicelli will do the trick!
Chia seeds: This is a substitute for the sweet basil seeds. Chia seeds are really similar, and they’re more easily accessible in the West, so that’s why I’m using them! The chia seeds will contribute to the texture and thickness of our falooda in place of the sweet basil seeds.
Tapioca: This will contribute to the texture of the falooda, similar to boba. While not traditionally used in a Falooda, small tapioca balls, known as sabudana in Hindi, can be used in the Falooda for a pleasing texture, similar to bubble tea.
Condensed milk: I only added a little bit to further thicken the Falooda.
Green cardamom pods: Add this to the milk for a nice scent.
Rose water: This is stirred when stirring the Falooda to give a more potent rose flavour.
Saffron: Some strands for garnish.
Vanilla ice cream: Technically here I used Fior de latte gelato, but any sort of vanilla ice cream or gelato for serving makes this dessert truly royal! If you want, you could even use a strawberry ice cream to enhance the Falooda’s pink colour.
Pistachios: Crushed pistachios for garnish.
Edible rose petals: Add some for a captivating garnish.
Red food colouring: Optional, but to get that eye-popping colour of the Falooda, you’ll need it! Otherwise, as you see in the photos, your Falooda will be white-looking.
How to Make Rose Falooda
For the rose syrup
Add the rose petals and water to a saucepan and bring the water to a gentle simmer over low to medium-low heat. Simmer for 15-25 minutes or until the rose petals release most of the colour into the water. The petals should turn almost greyish-pink in colour.
Strain the water into a bowl using a sieve and press upon the petals with a spatula to release any remaining colour/water. Return the water to the saucepan and add the sweetener. Mix well and bring the water back up to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rose syrup thickens slightly.
Once cooled slightly, transfer to a jar and store for use later.
For the Rose Falooda
Soak the tapioca pearls in enough water to submerge them for about 3 hours or until soft when squeezed. Drain once ready.
Pour milk into a saucepan, add the drained tapioca, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the condensed milk and mix well. Stir in the green cardamom pods.
Gently simmer until the milk thickens slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust for sugar if needed.
Set aside and chill for at least 1-2 hours.
In the meanwhile, soak the chia seeds in water for about 20-25 minutes or until they become jelly-like. Drain any excess water.
Bring water to a boil in a pot or saucepan. Add the falooda sev or broken vermicelli and cook according to the package directions until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
In each serving glass, add 2-3 tablespoons of rose syrup at the bottom
Add 1 tablespoon of soaked chia seeds.
Add 1 tablespoon of cooked vermicelli.
Pour in the chilled tapioca milk mixture, filling the glass up to about three-quarters full.
If preferred, add 1-2 tablespoons of tapioca from the bottom of the container holding the milk to add in extra tapioca pearls.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of rose water into each glass.
Add a few drops of red food colouring if desired for a more vibrant colour and mix well.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the milk mixture.
Sprinkle with lightly crushed pistachios and a few saffron strands, along with fresh rose petals for an authentic and elegant touch.
Serve immediately with a long spoon and a straw to enjoy the different layers and textures of the falooda.
Serving Suggestions for Falooda
I’ve only had falooda twice in my life before making it for this recipe, and I didn’t really have anything with it! I do recommend you serve it immediately nice and chilled for the best taste. However, you can eat this as a dessert after having some snacks like Aloo Tikki Chaat, Paneer Pakoras, Chicken Samosas, Aloo Puff Patties, or Keema Paratha. It will cool you down after having the piping hot food!
Tips To Master Your Rose Falooda
It’s best to prepare the elements for this dessert well in advance of serving. This will make the serving process stress free and the extra time the ingredients will have to sit, will enhance their flavour at the same time.
Use falooda sev if you can find it since it is much thinner than vermicelli and is made specifically for desserts. This will help make the falooda more authentic.
Similarly, instead of chia seeds, make use of sabja or basil seeds since they have a slightly different texture, such as a crunchy center and a much more neutral flavour than chia seeds. This can help improve the flavours and experience of having a falooda.
If you’ve previously made Indian pink milk, known as Gulabi Doodh, then you can make your tapioca mixture with that so it’s already pink and rosy!
Use a thick, fat straw to enjoy the falooda and all the interesting textures present in it.
Other Refreshing Cold Drinks
WATCH HOW TO Make Rose Falooda Here:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Royal Rose Falooda
Ingredients
- 1 Cup dried edible rose petals
- 2 Cups water
- 1/2 Cup cane sugar, to taste (or sweetener of choice)
- 2 Cups whole milk
- 1/4 Cup condensed milk
- 1/2 Cup tapioca/sabudana
- water, as needed
- 1/2 Cup vermicelli
- 1/3 Cups chia seeds
- 6-9 Tbsp rose syrup, from above
- 2 tsp rose water
- vanilla ice cream or gelato, as needed
- 2-3 Tbsp pistachios, lightly crushed
- pinch of saffron
- 3 green cardamom pods
- fresh or dried edible rose petals, for garnish
- red food colouring (optional)
- cane sugar, if needed (or any sweetener of your choice)
Instructions
- Add the rose petals and water to a saucepan and bring the water to a gentle simmer over low to medium-low heat. Simmer for 15-25 minutes or until the rose petals release most of the colour into the water. The petals should turn almost greyish-pink in colour.
- Strain the water into a bowl using a sieve and press upon the petals with a spatula to release any remaining colour/water. Return the water to the saucepan and add the sweetener. Mix well and bring the water back up to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rose syrup thickens slightly.
- Once cooled slightly, transfer to a jar and store for use later.
- Soak the tapioca pearls in enough water to submerge them for about 3 hours or until soft when squeezed. Drain once ready.
- Pour milk into a saucepan, add the drained tapioca, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the condensed milk and mix well. Stir in the green cardamom pods.
- Gently simmer until the milk thickens slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust for sugar if needed. Set aside and chill for at least 1-2 hours. In the meanwhile, soak the chia seeds in water for about 20-25 minutes or until they become jelly-like. Drain any excess water.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot or saucepan. Add the falooda sev or broken vermicelli and cook according to the package directions until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In each serving glass, add 2-3 tablespoons of rose syrup at the bottom. add 1 tablespoon of soaked chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of cooked vermicelli.
- Pour in the chilled tapioca milk mixture, filling the glass up to about three-quarters full. If preferred, add 1-2 tablespoons of tapioca from the bottom of the container holding the milk to add in extra tapioca pearls.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of rose water into each glass. If using, add a few drops of red food colouring if desired for a more vibrant colour and mix well.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the milk mixture. Sprinkle with lightly crushed pistachios and a few saffron strands, along with fresh or dried rose petals for an authentic and elegant touch.
- Serve immediately with a long spoon and a straw to enjoy the different layers and textures of the falooda.
Nutrition info is an estimate.
Follow me
Meet Anadi
Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
