Rabdi or rabri is an Indian dessert made by thickening milk on slow heat with the addition of some sweetener. The end result is indulgent and mouth-watering. It can be eaten as is or paired with other desserts like jalebi and shahi tukda. Now what if we turn that into something even more decadent? Say, a rabri kulfi?
We picked four popular stick kulfi brands that were labeled as rabri/rabdi kulfi. A taste test revealed that Mother Dairy’s Rabri Kulfi is the best tasting, creamiest and densest kulfi in our line up.
After multiple rounds of tastings, we found that the rich flavor of rabri in our Top Pick remains unparalleled. More details ahead.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison of Rabri Kulfi Brands
A tabular comparison of all the information that you need to know about rabri kulfi brands –
| Brand | Price
(INR) |
Net Wt. | Shelf Life
(months) |
Mishry
Rating |
| Mother Dairy
(Mishry Top Pick) |
25/- | 50 gm | 9 | 3.6 |
| Havmor | 35/- | 70 ml | 12 | 3.3 |
| Amul | 10/- | 45 ml | 12 | 3 |
| Cream Bell | 30/- | – | 12 | 2.6 |
Our Review Factors
On our quest to find the best rabri kulfi brands in India, we gauged the contenders on parameters like taste and texture/mouthfeel (creaminess and smoothness). Moreover, we also scanned the ingredient list to learn more on which brand uses better quality ingredients.
1. Taste
Rabri kulfi should primarily taste like thickened milk, almost like biting into a block of milk fudge. Rabri kulfis should have that rich milky taste that is synonymous with a bowl of homemade rabri. Apart from that we also checked for sweetness levels, and flavors of any aromatics like cardamom/saffron (if any). If the kulfi has nuts, are they fresh and tasty?
2. Texture
As kulfi is not churned or whipped, it has a denser texture with a very creamy mouthfeel. We were looking for a smooth and creamy kulfi with or without nuts. Do note that the addition of nuts adds positively only if they taste good and retain their crunch.
3. Other Parameters
Appearance
The shape and color of the kulfi along with the type of stick used are all covered under the appearance factor.
Ingredients
Milk solids or vegetable fat? Artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives – what does the ingredient list mention?
Packaging
How well is the kulfi packed? Any leaks and breakages?
Price
Is the brand priced competitively?
Shelf Life
What is the shelf life of the kulfi? On average the shelf life of packaged stick kulfis is between 9-12 months.
Related Reading – 11 Yummy Dishes You Can Make With Milk
Rabri Kulfi Brands – Detailed Review
In-depth reasons as to why our Top Pick is titled are explained in the section below. Why did the other contenders not win, what did they lack has also been detailed.
1. Mother Dairy – Mishry Top Pick
Mother Dairy’s Rabri Kulfi is our Top Pick for three primary reasons. One, this is the tastiest, most milky kulfi amongst all the contenders. Secondly, the characteristic flavor of kadha hua doodh (thickened milk) is the most pronounced. Thirdly, the creamy, dense texture of the kulfi is spot on.
True to its flavor, this is the most rabri-like kulfi with a well-rounded sweetness. It has a beautiful caramel color.
Product inspection – A 50 gm kulfi is priced at Rs 25/- and has a 9 month shelf life. Prime ingredients include water, milk solids and sugar. Apart from stabilizers and emulsifiers, it also has synthetic food color and natural-identical flavoring substances. It provides 227 Kcal of energy per 100 gms.
- Creamiest mouthfeel.
- Dense, creamy bite like kulfis should have.
- We liked the fresh, milky taste of the kulfi.
- Apt sweetness levels.
- Rich rabri-like taste is the most accentuated in this brand.
- The ingredient list could have been better.
Need an undiluted, thick, milky and creamy rabri-like kulfi? Mother Dairy is the brand for you.
2. Havmor
Why did this not win? True to its name, we could see a decent quantity of finely chopped nuts on the kulfi. This had quite a dense bite. That said, there was no richness or milkiness that kadha hua doodh typically has.
Taste-wise too, the milky flavor was barely there. This kulfi was sweet but it had an absurd flavor that we could not put a finger on. It might have been nuts releasing their oils or the flavor of the stick. The cardamom flavor was quite subtle. Saffron and mawa were not really tasted.
Product inspection – This dry fruit rabdi kulfi comes packed in a single-layer packing. On opening, it looked almost identical to the graphic representation. The main ingredients are milk solids, sugar, almonds (1.2%), cashews (1.2%), pistachio nuts (0.5%), permitted emulsifier (INS 471), stabilizers (INS 412, INS 407, INS 410), cardamom, saffron (<0.1%). It contains artificial mawa flavor.
We liked how saffron and cardamom haven’t been added artificially.
It offers 160 Kcal per 70 ml serve.
- This dry fruit kulfi is devoid of added colors.
- It has a dense and desirable mouthfeel.
- Natural cardamom and saffron have been added.
- It contains almonds, cashews, and pistachios.
- There was a prominent yet unidentifiable flavor.
- Undesirable flavors of oil and the stick mixed with that of the kulfi.
- Despite having nuts, this lacked the richness.
3. Amul
Why did this not win? Neither the texture nor the taste came close to the richness of authentic rabdi. Primarily, we could taste some sweetness. In addition to this, the flavor of the stick was prominent.
Product inspection – Amul Rabdi Kulfi was packed like regular ice-cream sticks. There is no dual packaging, a single plastic pack holds the kulfi stick. It looked like an oddly-shaped blob on a stick that had a displeasing appearance. The orange tinge looked too artificial.
The main ingredients include milk solids, sugar, emulsifiers (INS 435, INS 471), stabilizer (INS 407, INS 412), and nature identical flavoring substances and colors (INS 122, INS 133, INS 102)
1 serving (32 gms) contains 72 Kcal.
4. Cream Bell
Why did it not win? The creaminess of Cream Bell and Amul were more or less the same. It lacked the richness rabdi is renowned for. The thickness that reduced (cooked) milk lends was missing.
This was quite sweet. The added flavors led the flavor profile. Overall, this tasted too artificial. The missing flavor of kadha hua doodh was a major drawback.
Product inspection – Cream Bell featured a similar packaging to Amul. However, based on the graphic, we anticipated a sleek, conical kulfi. When we opened the pack, it had an uneven rectangular structure.
The main ingredients of this rabdi malai-flavored ice-cream are water, milk solids, sugar, maltodextrin, permitted emulsifying agents, stabilizing agents, permitted synthetic and natural colors (INS 150d, INS 102). Moreover, it also contains natural-identical and artificial flavoring substances like (mawa, malai, condensed milk, rabdi malai, and kulfi)
- It uses a large number of additives. (added flavors specifically)
- It does not have a rich, creamy texture like that of a rabri.
- The flavors were industrial.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Mother Dairy Rabri Kulfi as our Top Pick?
Mother Dairy’s Rabri kulfi has a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a milky dense bite. After multiple tastings, the rabri-like flavor we were looking for was found to be the best and most pronounced in this brand. It tastes milky fresh and looks appetizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on the best rabri kulfi brands in India.
1. Is it safe and healthy to buy kulfis online?
Yes! Many online portals offer ice creams and kulfis which can be delivered at your doorstep. Make sure to check if the kulfis are being delivered in an ice box to maintain their temperature.
2. Is this kulfi flavored?
Of the four contenders, Cream Bell calls itself a rabdi malai-flavored ice-cream.
3. Are kulfis generally high on carbs?
Primarily, milk and sugar are the core ingredients of a kulfi. Since sugar is a form of carbohydrates, it makes kulfis quite carbohydrate-dense.
4. Does this kulfi contain preservatives?
Yes, all four contenders contain preservatives. Mother Dairy, Havmor, and Amul have INS 412 that prevents formation of crystals in frozen desserts, ice-creams and Cream Bell uses maltodextrin.
5. Does this kulfi contain food colors?
Yes. Out of the four kulfis we tried, three brands have added colors.
Trying to make kulfi at home? The best kulfi moulds you can find online.
Final Verdict
Rich and rabri-like is what we were looking for, and that’s what we got! Mishry’s Top Pick, Mother Dairy Rabri Kulfi, excels in replicating the rabri flavor and milky creaminess we expect.
Do you enjoy eating kulfi on a stick or scraped off from a matka?
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.
