Ravneet Gill's falooda recipe

I loved going to South Asian centers in London like Wembley when I was a kid. Not for the endless shopping for sari, but because they were snacks that I didn't get home often: crispy potato bhajia, samosas, chaat, mogo, dokhla and falooda - a dessert drink pink. It's rare to get a really good falooda because it's such a nice balance of rose syrup, generous amounts of basil seeds - which bloom into a frog-like consistency when dipped - vermicelli noodles and ice cream vanilla. In short, a magical thing.

Falooda (Indian rose dessert drink)

Don't skimp on the rose syrup. It is usually found in one liter bottles in international supermarkets. You will need four tall glasses to serve.

Preparation 40 minCooking 10 minChilling 4 hours+Serves 4

140g of rose syrup1 0.2 liter whole milk (or an alternative such as oat milk) 20 g basil seeds (AKA tukmaria) or chia seeds 25 g falooda sev or corn noodles 40 g sugar powdered or granulated 1 tsp agar agar (vegetarian gelatin supplement optional)

Prepare the rose milk: pour 120g of syrup into the milk and mix well. Set aside or refrigerate if making ahead.

Rinse basil seeds under cold running water and place in a large bowl with enough water to cover. Set that aside for five minutes; you will notice that they will "bloom" and begin to look like froglings. (These can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for three days and strained before use.)

Place a medium pot of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the vermicelli and simmer gently for five to 10 minutes, until softened. Filter and let cool. I like to keep the vermicelli for a relatively long time for the falooda, but not so long that they are difficult to eat. Use a pair of scissors to cut them to the desired length - I cut them to 10 cm.

In a separate dish. make a sugar syrup: heat 60 ml of water and add the sugar. Once it has a syrupy consistency, add the drained vermicelli, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for half an hour.

For the rose jelly, heat 350 ml of water with the remaining 20 g of rose syrup in a medium saucepan. When it has reached a gentle simmer, add the agar agar and whisk well. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow heatproof container covered with cling film.

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to cool completely and set - about four hours.

To assemble, take four tall glasses. Put a teaspoon of basil seeds in the bottom of each glass, followed by a heaped tablespoon of soaked vermicelli. Add the ice in large chunks on top (I like it a lot - up to half the glass) and stir briefly. Add a tablespoon of rose jelly, then the milk, and mix briefly. Finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each glass. Garnish with chopped pistachios, if desired. Serve with a long spoon and a large straw.