Hot Milk, Kulfi, and beyond…desserted at Shiv Kailash, Pune

After a great dinner on a chilly evening in Pune if you still have some space left unoccupied in your belly, head to Shiv Kailash and snatch a glass of hot Masala Dudh (Spiced Milk). It’s a tiny place with minimal seating arrangement. In fact seating is not recommended in itself. Best to have it while you stand by the shop looking at the busy road, unknowingly listening to train announcements coming from the nearby Pune Railway Station.

And in case if it’s not a chilly evening, worry not because some sinful deliciousness is in the store. Shiv Kailash is famous among the students community as a destination for best falooda in Pune. For those who do not know, Falooda is basically a traditional dessert made with Ice Cream submerged in custard milk and finely cooked shewai (wheat noodles). However this is a more general list of ingredients in Falooda, as there are may variants. Some use Kulfi instead of ice cream, others use rabdi (thickened milk) instead of custard.  The history of Falooda can be traced back to hundreds of years and seems to be originally a Persian recipe as written in this Wikipedia article.

The one served at Shiv Kailash is a dollop of Pista Ice Cream in thick and mildly sweet rabdi. It is loaded with nuts the top and some finely cooked wheat-starch noodles at the bottom. A sheer indulgence! Also makes you realize why it could be considered as one of the best Falooda in Pune. Other favorites here are Lassi, and Kulfi with Basundi which are equally sinful.

One more thing we really like about this place is its liveliness. Being extremely popular among Punekars, it defines what a busy roadside eatery is all about. Scores of people visit it every minute and staff keeps chanting orders towards kitchen. They have dedicated kiosks for Milk and Lassi and a person just for parking guidance. Indeed a typical Indian food joint!