Return to Miramar Cash & Carry + more flavors from Kwality Ice Cream

While our original plan was to try a new neveria down south, I suddenly realized that hey...we're near Mira Mesa...

aaaand both Bert and TC were with me...

so that meant a revisit to this awesome Indian grocery store which has a separate ice cream counter. We were three so it was time to "maximize the flavor" sampling.  My MO was easy. Choose ice creams with names I've never heard of. Seriously.  TC stuck with Mango. Bert, like me, also chose a flavor he'd never tried. The young man working the counter was very friendly and helpful. He even suggested that we sample the flavors we were asking about before committing to a scoop.

See the names below? Chikoo and Paan? Yes, I got those.   Oh, and I'll let you know now, especially if you're just a casual reader or don't bother reading but just "look at the pictures", that this post will be heavy on video links. It's easier for me to have these videos demonstrate the ingredients of these exotic (to us) but common (for Indians) ice cream flavors. I tried to choose the shortest ones but you could always skip or fast forward I suppose.


I originally wanted Cashew Raisin two weeks ago when I visited but instead chose the Blue Mango (a combination of mango and black currant). I'll have to try cashew raisin another time then.

Our trio (actually quad since I got two scoops):

Bert's Rajbhog (I mean for the sound of this alone, we had to give it a try):

The clerk told us that this was a very "nutty" ice cream. Bert really enjoyed this...more than my choices. His ice cream had a faint cardamom flavor to it as well.

Here is a video on how to make Rajbhog. This is mainly so you can see what ingredients are used.

You've probably seen these balls in syrup before in Indian buffets. I don't remember them having spices inside but now I'm curious to try one again for comparison. Bert really liked this Rajbhog flavor because it had three types of nuts in it,pistachios, almonds, and cashews.

TC's Mango Kulfi:

Her mango ice cream was very creamy and intensely flavored.

More on mango kulfi from this video which features the same lady who does the video on how to make seven different flavors with one base, linked at the end. What I like about this recipe is how easy it is and that she combines the flavors pineapple with mango and adds ground pistachio nuts (which weren't present in TC's ice cream):


And here were my two flavors,  Chikoo and Paan. The server described  the chikoo as a fruit similar looking to a kiwi but very sweet inside and the paan as a 'breath freshener' type of ice cream containing betel leaves and fennel seeds.


The paan ice cream is the one with the multicolored chunks in them. The chikoo was a faint pinkish color and had tiny pieces of the actual fruit within. It was very sweet and had a pleasant flavor. Of the two, I liked the paan because it had a lot going on. There were bits of betel leaf, fennel seed and candied fruit (which I learned from the following videos is called 'tutti frutti') and a floral taste (rose to be exact). I surprised myself since I'm normally not a fan of rose flavored anything. In this case, the flavor was subtle. Paan is a flavor I wouldn't mind trying again but there are still so many other I want try!

These flavores were definitely way better than anything offered at a hipster ice cream joint. You'll not find these flavors at Hammonds or Moosies.

More on the 'chikoo' fruit here (also known as chico and sapodilla fruit):

Sorry, but the camera angle on this dude kind of makes him look creepy, but it  was actually an informative video! After looking up what the fruit was and seeing this video, I know my parents have mentioned this fruit before; they call it "chico". Sometimes you can find it in the frozen section in Seafood City. I'm sure it tastes better fresh though.

Here is a link on how to make your own paan ice cream, kind of like the Sandra Lee way, where you just use pre-existing ice cream and add in the toppings/flavorings: Cheat version

Plus another great video (I love how the host uses both English and her native language):

I like how there's already a scoop taken out when she takes the ice cream from the freezer! Someone wanted some!

This was the same snack that Cathy gifted to us a few months ago. TC liked it so much. The one I bought from my last visit was the wrong flavor so this time, I got it right.

Gone in a day.

I also found one of my favorite Indian snack brands,Haldiram's. This is the Panchrattan flavor (you can see the ingredients listed)...

It has an unusual flavor from the curry leaves and the sweet and spicy powder that coats each and every crunchy piece. There is a good mix of textures from the chewy golden raisins, the crunchy nuts and the potato sticks. The large bag is $5.99. They did not have the smaller bag here (which I bought once at Namaste two years ago).

Here is an informative video on how to make Indian ice cream (I noticed that it was NO CHURN like Kirbie's recent posts). The video is long but it's fascinating to see the different flavorings she uses and also how easy it is to make:


plus this cute commercial for Kwality Ice Cream:

So funny!

Previous visit to Miramar Cash & Carry:
September 15, 2015

All of us enjoyed our ice creams (I shared mine with Bert) and even though they had real cream in them (which sucks if you're lactose intolerant), it was worth it to experiment with new flavors.