Bastani Sonnati (Persian Saffron and Rosewater Ice Cream)
Fragrant, golden Iranian ice cream scented with saffron and rosewater, scattered with pistachios and stretchy in texture.
- Time6 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.87 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Stir the ground saffron into the hot water and leave to bloom for 10 minutes until deep orange.
10 min - 2
Whisk the cornflour with 4 tbsp of the cold milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk, the cream and the sugar in a pan until steaming.
- 3
Whisk in the cornflour mixture and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon.
5 min - 4
Take off the heat and stir in the saffron liquid and the rosewater. The mixture should smell floral and be a rich golden colour.
- 5
Cool over iced water, then chill for at least 3 hours.
180 min - 6
Churn in an ice cream machine for 25 minutes, folding in the pistachios for the last 2 minutes. No machine: freeze in a tub, beating well every 45 minutes for 3 hours.
- 7
Freeze for 1 hour more until firm. Serve in scoops with extra pistachios, or sandwiched between two wafers.
60 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
