Mango Falooda

Recipe: Mango Falooda
Mango Falooda is a delicious dessert drink made with fresh mango and ice cream. An easy to make summer Indian dessert, mango falooda is simply irresistible. Along with chopped ripe mango, mango puree, jelly(jello), vermicelli and basil seeds (sabja seeds) are added to chilled milk. Top it with chopped nuts and you have an Indian version of a sundae.
The Origin Of Falooda or Faluda
Falooda or Faluda is originally a Persian drink dessert brought to the Indian Sub Continent during the Mughal Era. And some say it was brought to the Indian Sub Continent by King Nader Shah, a Persian Ruler. Whichever way it came, it clearly was a dessert drink meant for the Royal Family. Over time the royal dessert found its way to the common people.
Flavors Of Falooda
Nowadays there are so many different flavors of Falooda available. Some serve it with the jelly (jello) or without it. For a totally vegetarian version, set flavored agar agar pudding is added. Syrups can vary from the traditional rose syrup to kesar, khus khus, thandai, or fruit flavored ones. These days fresh fruit syrups or coulis are also used. Served with ice creams right from the classic vanilla to chilli ice cream and kulfi. Which sev or vermicelli to serve with is entirely up to you. Ready roasted vermicelli makes it so much easier as they need to be soaked in water for a while and it is ready to use. My family doesn’t like the cornflour vermicelli. Nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruits too are added to make the dessert more exotic.
In fact, there are so many variations that you can explore and mix whatever takes your fancy. But today, I am posting a Mango Falooda.
Memories
2019, hubby and I spent quite a bit of time in India. A trip to South Mumbai to discover the old streets of Colaba and surrounding areas, we landed up at a all vegetarian fast food restaurant. After having walked for a long time, I decided I deserved a sugary treat. And I ordered Mango Falooda. It was super delicious and filling too. I didn’t need anything else for dinner.
Here in Mombasa, it is not easy to find a variety of Falooda. Most places serve the classic one with rose syrup. So, decided to make my own from scratch and make the best of the mango season while it lasts. Kenya is blessed with some absolutely delicious mangoes. In fact mostly they are sweet, therefore reducing the amount of sugar one needs to add to mango desserts or smoothies.
Some Mango Recipes To Check Out
- Mango & Vanilla Panna Cotta is so easy to make and yummy.
- Why not enjoy Chocolate Mango Smoothie during the hot season.
- Use a semi ripe mango to make a delicious filling spicy rice, mango and coconut salad.
- A Mango Sriracha Hummus goes perfectly well with veggie sticks like cucumber, carrots, celery, etc
- Black Rice Pudding with Mangoes is delectable.
- Enjoy some toast with Mango and Passion Fruit Jam.
- These cute Mango marble Mini Bundt Cakes are perfect for a tea party.
- Another smoothie – Mango Yogurt Smoothie – perfect way to start the day.
- How about a Mango, Banana and Mint Sorbet without refined sugar?
- Make this classic Mexican Street Drink – Mangonada/ Chamango Slush.
- Are you looking for a light lunch idea? Try out Mango and Curried Chickpea Salad.
- My all time favorite – Mango Curry
- Another yummy dessert Mango Coconut Jelly
- Creamy and easy to make Mango Cardamom Ice Cream
- Healthy and filling Mango Avocado Salad is a delightful summer salad.
- Easy to make and creamy, Mango and Passion Fruit Paleta
- Eggless Upside Down Mango Cakeis so delish with some ice cream.
- A party favorite and easy to make Mango Fool.
- Creamy and easy to make Mango Mousse is and ideal dessert for a large crowd.
- Chundo is a Gujarati seed and sour pickle.
Sunday Funday
Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.
Theme:Mangoes
I suggested this week’s theme. Bearing in mind that it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought using mangoes either raw or ripe in a dish is perfect. Unlike a few years ago, mangoes are now easily available in most parts of the world. If not fresh than frozen dried or in pulp form.
Here is how some of the Sunday Funday members used Mango in their dish:
- Aam Panna with Jaggery (Raw Green Mango Summer Drink) by Cook with Renu
- Dragonfruit, Mango, Jicama, & Corn Salad Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Grilled Steaks with Mango Chimichurri by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Homemade Aam Roti/Mango Papad by Sneha’s Recipe
- Mangonada by Palatable Pastime
- Summer Time Snack Mango Channa Chaat by Sizzling tastebuds
- Mango Chicken by Making Miracles
- Summer dessert Mango Falooda by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Enjoy refreshing Mango Margarita by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Spicy Mango Salsa by Food Lust People Love
- Stir-Fry Mango Ginger Chicken by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- White Chocolate Mango Mascarpone Mille Crepe Cake by Pandemonium Noshery
Ingredients Required For Mango Falooda:
- Fresh Mango – peeled and chopped into small cubes
- Fresh Mango Puree – easy to make at home. Peel and chop mango. Process it in a blender. If need be, add very little water.
- Vermicelli – I have used ready roasted vermicelli which I soaked in water for 15 minutes. If you have vermicelli that is not pre roasted then boil it in water till done. Asian vermicelli tends to be thinner than the Italian vermicelli. Can use angel hair pasta.
- Sabja Seeds – Basil seeds, look like chia seeds but are different. If you don’t have sabja seeds then use chia seeds. Need to soak the seeds in enough water for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Jelly – or jello. If possible use mango flavored. For vegetarians, use a vegetarian jelly. Wiekfield, Shan, Hartley brand make vegetarian friendly jelly. Or you can omit jelly.
- Sugar – add some to the chilled milk and mix well. Amount of sugar required will depend on the sweetness of the mango.
- Ice Cream – ideally a mango ice cream but can use vanilla, almond or pistachio ice cream.
- Chopped Nuts – any nuts of your choice for topping.

MANGO FALOODA RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sabja seeds (basil seeds)
- ½ cup vermicelli
- 4 -8 scoops vanilla/mango ice cream
- 1 cup fresh mango puree
- 1 cup chopped mango
- 1 cup chilled milk
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup mango jelly/jello cubes
Instructions
- Prepare the jelly according to the instructions on the packet. Let it set in a tray as you need a thin layer.
- Soak the sabja seeds in enough water for 15 minutes. Replace them with chia seeds if you don't have sabja seeds.
- Soak or cook the vermicelli and keep on the side till required.
- Peel and chop a ripe mango into small cubes.
- Peel and chop a big mango. Puree it in a blender.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE MANGO FALOODA
- Add about ¼ cup set jelly into 4 tall glasses.
- Add ¼ cup vermicelli into each glass.
- Add ¼ cup mango puree into each glass.
- Add about 2 tbsp of soaked sabja seeds into each glass.
- Add sugar to the chilled milk and stir well.
- Divide the milk into the 4 glasses.
- Top with ¼ cup chopped mango.
- Add a scoop or two of the ice cream.
- Sprinkle some nuts and serve Mango Falooda with a straw and long spoon.
Notes
- There is no particular order in which to add the ingredients of falooda into a tall glass. This is just a guideline.
- You will have some jello/jelly left over. Serve it with chopped fresh fruit as dessert the next day.
- Use any flavor of ice cream.
- Chill the chopped mango and mango puree for a while for a super cold dessert.
- If you want to serve at a party, guests can assemble it themselves. Lay out other options like other chopped fresh fruits, choice of topping, choice of ice cream, etc.
37 Comments
Wendy Klik
June 6, 2021 at 3:42 pm
This sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing memories of your trip to India and your life in Kenya.
mayurisjikoni
June 7, 2021 at 9:41 pm
Thank you Wendy.
Karen
June 7, 2021 at 1:15 am
This is so beautiful! I love all of the colors! Plus, the history of the dish is so interesting.
mayurisjikoni
June 7, 2021 at 9:40 pm
Thank you so much Karen.
Sneha Datar
June 9, 2021 at 1:04 pm
Too tempting to resist digging a spoon in that colorful glass!
mayurisjikoni
June 9, 2021 at 5:51 pm
Thank you so much Sneha.
Renu
June 16, 2021 at 12:19 am
I have got some good Alphonso mangoes after ages this time from our Asian shops, and I am crazily enjoying all our different recipes with mangoes. Thanks for this delicious share, would love to try it soon, though I wish I could just grab the bowl from the screen itself.
mayurisjikoni
June 16, 2021 at 9:36 pm
Thank you so much Renu and I wish I could share it with you 🙂
Uma Srinivas
June 16, 2021 at 4:58 am
Mango falooda looks absolutely delicious. This reminds me of my school days, where my mom used to take us to the ice cream shop to buy the faloodas. I love to sip on these on hot days 🙂
mayurisjikoni
June 16, 2021 at 9:35 pm
Thank you so much Uma, glad that my post brought back some fond memories for you.
Vandana
June 16, 2021 at 9:30 pm
Awesome. Loved this recipe of yours. With so many good things in one glass, it’s really hard to resist mango falooda. Can’t wait to try it.
mayurisjikoni
June 16, 2021 at 9:31 pm
Thank you so much Vandana and enjoy when you make it.
Lata Lala
June 17, 2021 at 1:06 pm
OMG… the sight of mango falooda is making me drool and feeling hungry. It’s my favorite Dessert with so many components in one but easy to put together as well.
Your recipe is so easy and sounds so delish Mayuri.
mayurisjikoni
June 17, 2021 at 3:52 pm
Thank you so much Lata, when we allowed to host home parties, this was one dessert I liked to serve as guests could build up their own version of the falooda.
Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey
June 17, 2021 at 1:30 pm
Every summer we treat ourselves with mango falooda, just once though as we want to try other mango recipes too 🙂 Such a delightful, rich and cooling mango dessert, so good if made using Indian varieties mangoes.
mayurisjikoni
June 17, 2021 at 3:51 pm
Thank you, as I’m in Kenya, making this falooda with the local apple mango is equally good.
Pavani
June 18, 2021 at 2:10 am
What a delicious and inviting mango falooda. Love all the different textures and flavors going on in this dessert Can’t wait to try your version soon.
mayurisjikoni
June 19, 2021 at 10:59 pm
Thank you so much Pavani. Enjoy when you make mango falooda.
Rafeeda – The Big Sweet Tooth
June 18, 2021 at 4:31 pm
Mayuriji I really had a tough time fighting my temptations after looking at your tall glass of Mango Falooda. In this heat, I really wouldn’t mind getting some right away…
mayurisjikoni
June 19, 2021 at 10:58 pm
Thank you so much Rafeeda. Yes with the heatwave you’re facing, a cold dessert is tempting.
Poonam bachhav
June 18, 2021 at 9:58 pm
Falooda is such an eye appealing delightful treat! I love your beautifully layered Mango falooda. Looks simply irresistible!
Poonam bachhav
June 19, 2021 at 8:57 am
Falooda is my family favorite dessert. I mean who can resist a beautifully layered glass full of delicious flavors and textures! Your mamgo Falooda looks absolutely delectable!
mayurisjikoni
June 19, 2021 at 10:57 pm
Thank you so much Poonam.
Sasmita Sahoo
June 19, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Mango falooda and mango mastani are two of my fav in summer. Your falooda here looks absolutely delicious. Just perfect for summer hot afternoon time. With all those ingredients going in, it is really a rich dessert and I am totally drooling over the clicks.
mayurisjikoni
June 19, 2021 at 10:57 pm
Thank you Sasmita. I have yet to try making mango mastani at home.
Sapana
June 19, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Mango faluda is our all time summer favorites. You can get it on any street of Delhi in summers. Even my childhood memories are so connected with it, so nostalgic. The way you have presented it make it so wonderful and colourful. The recipe described is also very easy. Adding it my to do list for this summer. Thanks for sharing.
mayurisjikoni
June 19, 2021 at 10:56 pm
Thank you so much Sapana. I think most of us have fond childhood memories surrounding falooda.
Seema Sriram
June 21, 2021 at 11:58 am
The mango falooda looks phenomenal. Such clear layers and I am sure the flavour was spot on.
mayurisjikoni
June 22, 2021 at 11:11 am
Thank you so much Seema, and can proudly admit that the flavor was spot on.. neighbor loved it.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
July 8, 2021 at 10:56 pm
How beautifully layered and such a tempting Falooda this is Mayuri! I want to grab it right off the screen. I have so many memories of eating falooda from the road side vebdor when growing up. I have not tasted the mango one before and I will give it a try.
mayurisjikoni
July 8, 2021 at 11:16 pm
Thank you so much Sandhya, do try the mango one, am sure you’ll enjoy it.
Neha (My Culinary Expressions)
June 20, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Mango Falooda looks quite royal and exotic. Together, the layers create a great combination of flavors. I would love to try out vermicelli in falooda. Have always used corn flour vermicelli. There is some vanilla ice-cream stocked in the freezer. Will use to make falooda on this weekend.
mayurisjikoni
June 20, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Thanks Neha. Please do try it with vermicelli. I make it with cornflour vermicelli but my family prefers the wheat one. Falooda is definitely a rich and exotic dessert.
Kalyani
June 24, 2023 at 12:07 am
We are getting the final lot of Kesar / Payri here, and this is a must make, the little one has been asking for a falooda for long.. bookmarked to try asap.
mayurisjikoni
June 28, 2023 at 3:24 pm
Enjoy the final season of the year of mangoes. And using them to make mango falooda sounds like a perfect idea.
Priya Vj
June 25, 2023 at 12:26 pm
Love mango falooda.. I am in awe off how beautifully you have layered and assembled the falooda.. the clicks are doing absolute justice to the effort taken by you .
mayurisjikoni
June 28, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Thank you so much Priya. My favourite kind of falooda.