Jigarthanda is a very popular drink in Madurai…Jigar means ‘Heart’, Thanda means ‘Cold’ so the special drink is considered soothing to heart.The name ‘Jigarthanda’ itself tempts me soo much that after coming to CBE once I saw a lassi stall selling jigarthanda so nagged hubby to stop and get me to taste it.One sip I totally fell for jigarthanda, and thats the first time I tasted it and after that whenever we pass by that shop I would stop there for jigarthanda though the drink is available only in summers.When I asked the person who made it he gave some hints that badam pisin and nannari syrup are the main ingredients used here.Badam Pisin is a special edible gum that is taken from almond tree.
I also referred here for recipe.There may be many variations to this Madurai Jigarthanda but I am completely satisfied with this version which will sure come very close to madurai jigarthanda taste, Yes I claim it! 🙂 I have tried my best to include all the stepwise pictures, for more variations refer my notes section.
So after tasting and hearing about jigarthandas popularity I wanted to recreate it at home.I asked my cousin who is a native of Madurai to click pictures of Jigarthanda and send it across as I first wanted to see how the authentic madurai jigarthanda looked like….He sent me the pictures along with a video last summer, he gave tips as well and it took me a year to try it.Thank you so much Goldking for the pictures and video! 🙂
I first waited to get a serving glass the ones they serve in shops, then hunted for badam pisin which took some time then making homemade nannari syrup took a while and when I had all of them in hand, I was still confused whether to use store bought icecream or make my own and the exact method of making jigarthanda icecream. This summer the first thing I thought to click was jigarthanda and bought icecreams and kept…but last week when I saw a video in which the jigarthanda seller said the icecream they use also plays a vital role in jigarthanda and they call it Bhai Icecream and he just said the ingredients for making the icecream.So my mind was fixed for making homemade icecream for Jigarthanda so it was almost 3 days of hardwork for making all the ingredients from the scratch and finally today I assembled the jigarthanda and served it…Yayyyy I am a happy soul today :))
Jigarthanda Recipe
Preparation Time:1 day | Cooking Time : 1 hr | Makes:5
Recipe Category: Popsicles | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Recipe Category: Popsicles | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Milk – 1 cup (1/4 liter / 250ml) + chilled 1/2 cup
Nannari Syrup – 3 to 4 tbsp
Badam Pisin – 1 tbsp
Homemade Jigarthanda Icecream
Milk – 3/4 liter (750 ml)
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Fresh Cream – 1/2 cup
Paal Kova – 2 tbsp
Vanilla Essence – 1/2 tsp
Method:
- I used 1 liter milk in total to reduce and then took a cup of it and stored as reduced milk then proceeded with the rest to make icecream.Boil 1 liter milk and simmer for 10mins until milk is reduced a little.Add sugar and keep cooking in low flame until it is reduced to half.Scrap the sides.
- Now once its reduced to half and is light brown in color, take a cup of it and refrigerate it so that its chilled while serving.Heat the rest of reduced milk for 10 more mins.Switch off and cool down completely.Then add paal kova to cooled milk mixture. I used homemade paalkova and it was sweetened.
- Then add fresh cream and vanilla essence and whisk it well.Pour the mixture into freezer proof containers and freeze it.After 3-4 hrs break the crystals formed with a fork.Then again freeze it.
- After freezing it again, blend it using a mixer, repeat this for 2 times freeze and blend.Finally pour it back and freeze it for 8 hrs.See now it has become creamy.
- Meanwhile prepare the jelly, add a tbsp of badam pisin in a bowl rinse it in water then add water and keep covered undisturbed overnight.It will increase in volume, if you see any brown spots then remove it carefully and use the rest.You need to add more water as it grows in volume.The water shown below will not be enough, I added more at a later stage.
- Take your serving glass first add 2 tsp nannari syrup then add 2 heaped tbsp of badam pisin.
- Now add little milk then add little reduced milk till it reaches 3/4 th of the glass.
- Give a quick stir with a spoon then add a scoop of homemade icecream.Serve immediately.
Serve immediately!
Madurai Jigarthanda in the making! 🙂
My Notes:
- You can collect the malai that forms while thickening milk and use it for garnishing while serving jigarthanda, thats how they serve in madurai shops.
- The quantity of each ingredient can be purely your choice.I like more of jelly so added it more, plus or minus according to your liking.
- If you want to use store bought icecream then use vanilla icecream.You can replace badam pisin with agar agar but sure the taste will vary.
- You can use store bought paal kova too.I will post the paalkova recipe soon.
- Nannari syrup and badam pisin are the main star ingredients in jigarthanda and I recommend no replacements for it.If you want to feel and taste madurai jigarthanda then you should use those ingredients.
- You can make homemade icecream a day before and refrigerate it.I just blended for 3 times altogether but the more you blend the more creamy texture you will get.But jigarthanda icecream is not very creamy like the shop icecreams.
- Except the color I was completely satisified about getting the apt madurai jigarthanda. I am not sure how they get that deep brown color, may be they use caramel…not really sure.
- In some shops they even use basil seeds but guess its not the authentic version of madurai jigarthanda.
Are you ready to enjoy homemade jigarthanda icecream and jigarthanda?! :))
Rathy Kumar says
March 19, 2015 at 11:41 amHi Sharon, jigarthanda looks tempting and just like madurai jigarthanda. Pls try jigarthanda from the 'famous' jiharthanda shop at madurai once.
Veena Theagarajan says
March 19, 2015 at 11:41 amwow! you made it from scratch.. Yummy looking Jigarthanda
Selvarani Ganesan says
March 19, 2015 at 11:48 amwow…our fly fav…..nice clicks and explanation
Priya Srinivasan says
March 19, 2015 at 12:16 pmThat looks awesome!!! I have been wanting try his for a longtime! Totally cool!!
priya says
March 19, 2015 at 12:19 pmHi.. Amazing effort.. Looks too yummy.. You have mentioned to replace badam pisin with badam pisin in the notes section.. Please correct it..
Unknown says
March 19, 2015 at 12:27 pmThat looks fabulous! Been thinking of trying at home but was clueless. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂 may I know where you sourced badam pisin from?
Aarthi says
March 19, 2015 at 12:47 pmso delicious sharmi
Savitha Ganesan says
March 19, 2015 at 1:11 pmPerfect for this summer. Loved all the clicks.
Magees kitchen says
March 19, 2015 at 2:23 pmYummy!
Sangeetha M says
March 19, 2015 at 2:38 pmSemma post Sharmi, ippadi dhaan naan taste panirkken Jigarthanda with palkova icecream…perfect one! very well explained!
Divs says
March 19, 2015 at 2:41 pmwow you are really a perfectionist. so much effort you have taken to assemble everything and turned it to the most perfect and authentic jigarthanda. it has surely payed off!!! it looks ahhmazing!!! would love to know where i can find badam pisin in cbe?
Priya Ramkumar says
March 19, 2015 at 3:12 pmlookd super cool …
Janani says
March 19, 2015 at 4:49 pmLooks awesome sharmi I have never tried it to next time Madurai stop la I have it. U have done it very well.
Naga says
March 19, 2015 at 5:45 pmGreat work sharmi . Im really amazed looking at your patience towards making that beautiful jigrathantha . Well explained . Hats off to you .
Ahilaa Kamuthurai says
March 19, 2015 at 6:15 pmSo Much hardwork!!! Great Sharmilee!!!
Madhumitha Narasimhan says
March 19, 2015 at 7:32 pmHats off to your patience in making this and taking pics as well, just wow!
Sandhiya says
March 20, 2015 at 6:11 amWow..made everything from scratch. that's outstanding..Now i'm craving for jigarthanda.
Malathi ganesh says
March 20, 2015 at 10:03 amwhere can we get badam pisin in cbe?
Durga Karthik. says
March 20, 2015 at 1:09 pmThis is true hard work.
Revathi Ramkumar says
March 20, 2015 at 3:05 pmAbsolutely perfect… Hats off!! Rocking as always
hammetha farzana says
March 21, 2015 at 11:20 amawesome sharmi…..
Kayal's Virundhu says
March 22, 2015 at 4:12 pmHi mam this is really rocking..My hometown is madurai…Lover of Jigarthanda…Thank you so much for the post…Can u please say where we have bought badam pisin???
SHARMILEE J says
March 23, 2015 at 5:25 amI got it in a departmental stores named Kanan
sindhuja r says
May 7, 2015 at 11:15 amHi Sharmika, Amazing recipe. Looks yummy & explained well. Picture perfect clicks. Keep Rocking.
vimal raj says
June 7, 2015 at 2:14 pmHii Jigar sharmi invite me for a glass of jigarthanda…
vimal raj says
June 7, 2015 at 2:16 pmHiiiii Jigar sharmiii …. Invite me for a glass of jigarthanda….
Lavanya M says
July 17, 2015 at 10:16 amHi,
This is the first time I tried out Icecream receipe. I dont know if u have ever been to Trichy. There, "Michael's" is a very famous Icecream parlour. Low price and very tasty vanilla icecream. Whenever I have been ti Tricht right from my childhood, I have enjoyed this icecream. I have longed for it in Chennai.
Iam very happy to say that your receipe of this Jigarthanda Icecream matches exactly with Michael's. It came out Superb!!! I did the jigarthanda too today and it was fantastic too…
Thanks for your effort and time!!! Kudos!!! Keep it up!!!
Sindhuraj says
May 20, 2016 at 1:06 pmReduced milk ice cream = 1litre milk and another 1/2 cup milk u are using while assembling jigarthanda. Am I right??
SHARMILEE J says
June 5, 2016 at 5:49 amYes
jujal says
February 27, 2017 at 5:36 pmI have been to Madurai many a times. I have watched the making of Jiarthanda. I would say that your recipe is a very authentic and traditional one. Actually the color comes from sarbath. The sarbath which the shops use will be thick in color. The sarbath which you used is slightly pale in color since you made a homemade version.
Salutes to your work for this recipe. I searched for jigarthanda recipe in so many websites but none other than yours could provide the authentic one.
Sumathi R says
April 30, 2017 at 8:33 pmHi Sharmilee,
I tried the recipe today. ut the jigarthanda icecream has not come out well. it was watery even after a day refridgerated.
Is there any measurement for the thicken milk (to be mixed with kova and fresh cream)? Pls suggest.
Sharmilee J says
May 7, 2017 at 10:00 amYou can try using unsweetened kowa
Sumathi R says
May 10, 2017 at 4:51 pmI used homemade unsweetened kova only.:- (:-(
I ll try one more time and see.
Sindhu says
May 1, 2017 at 8:55 amHow many servings will get using the above mentioned measurements??
Sharmilee J says
May 2, 2017 at 7:10 pm2-3 servings
momina says
May 10, 2017 at 11:51 amhi
what is badam pisin??
Sharmilee J says
June 7, 2017 at 5:21 pmIt is edible almond gum
Janani says
May 17, 2017 at 4:11 pmHow long can store badam pisin ,ice cream in fridge while in use.
Sharmilee J says
May 18, 2017 at 6:32 amAbout a week
Janani says
May 17, 2017 at 4:13 pmHow long can we use soaked badam pisin and ice cream in fridge. Where to store soaked badam pisin
Sheba says
May 20, 2017 at 9:16 pmHi Sharmi,
Wonderful recipe.
Could you pls tell me whether edible gund can be used instead of badam pisin? Or both are same?
Sharmilee J says
June 7, 2017 at 5:25 pmI think both are same?!
Sheba says
May 22, 2017 at 4:28 pmHi Sharmi,
Can I use edible gund instead of almond gum?
Sharmilee J says
July 5, 2017 at 7:53 amHere for this recipe almond gum is must and cant replaced with edible gum.