It’s a taste of celebration. Sweet, floral, and decadent, this homemade royal Falooda recipe is a must-try. Made with rose-infused milk, strands of homemade jelly, basil seeds, and topped with coconut whip and crushed pistachios. Here’s everything you need to pull off this easy and healthy Indian drink or dessert — with zero added sugar.

two glasses and a bottle of rose falooda in a tray with a backdrop of pink roses

We had a fun-filled and joyous weekend, celebrating His Highness the Aga Khan’s birthday (Salgirah Khushali). I promised myself that, despite everything going on in our world, I would try and reimagine this celebration at home — without the Ismaili community’s physical presence and our place of worship, JamatKhana. While we craved a sense of community, I loved how the kiddos made a real effort to come together joyfully to create beautiful memories. 😊

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Food, of course, played a big part in marking this special occasion. And so I decided to accompany my easy falooda recipe with my favourite cake: Persian love cake.

My homemade falooda is made with only 8 ingredients and contains zero added sugar — only wholesome goodness and is 100% vegan. The beautiful pink hue is achieved using pure beet juice. In fact, I also used beet juice to create a quick and easy homemade jelly recipe. Honestly, it’s a cinch to pull off.

I would highly recommend you double the recipe because it’s quite something.

What is Falooda?

birds eye view of falooda topped wth white ice cream and crushed pistachios

A drink or a dessert — you decide. Traditionally speaking, Falooda is a popular Indian beverage with Persian roots. Many folks will attest to the fact that falooda actually came with the Iranis when they travelled to India. It’s also referred to as faluda or sherbet. 

In essenceit’s a rose-infused milkshake that oozes sweetness. You can expect to find colourful jelly and smooth basil seeds (tukmaria) floating in it. Ingredients can vary, though; some falooda recipe formulations add roasted vermicelli, syrup (khus) and ice cream. You can see why it passes as a dessert too.

How to make it at home

Ingredients:

  • Unsweetened Beet Juice
  • Agar agar (to make jelly)
  • Basil seeds
  • Oat milk
  • Medjool dates
  • Pure rose essence or rose water
  • Coconut whip (optional as a topping)
  • Pistachios (optional as a topping)
Step by step prep shots of how to make vegan falooda recipe using beet juice. and basil seeds
  1. It’s always helpful to have everything on hand (Image 1).
  2. Start by preparing the jelly as it requires time to set in the refrigerator: heat beet juice, water and agar agar (Image 2). Whisk to mix and bring to boil. Turn off and remove from heat.
  3. Transfer the jelly mixture to a glass container (Image 3), cool and refrigerate for 20-25 minutes. 
  4. Combine sweet basil seeds and water, stir and set aside. The seeds will swell up as they absorb water (in approximately 15 minutes) – Image 4
  5. Once the jelly is ready, gently remove it from the container (Image 5). Using a ridged Y peeler, shave the jelly into fine strands (Image 6). You could also use a knife and slice the jelly ever so finely. However, this does take longer.
  6. To make the falooda, blend milk, dates, beet juice and rose essence (Image 7).
  7. For assembly, you will need four large glasses. Divide the jelly and seeds equally into your glasses. Pour the falooda shake over the layers and top to your heart’s content. Coconut whip and pistachios are optional (Image 8). Serve immediately while it’s nice and cold.

Tips

  • Use cold oat milk and beet juice to create a chilled beverage. I store both in the refrigerator overnight because Falooda is best served cold.
  • When making the jelly, don’t forget to bring the beet juice mixture to boil to activate the agar agar.
  • You could prepare the jelly and basil seeds the night before to save time.
  • You want the jelly to be fine strands. That way, they swim in the rose milk instead of sinking to the bottom.
  • Enjoy immediately or chill and use within three to four days. 

Nutrition Highlights

  • No added sugar – naturally sweetened with dates
  • No artificial ingredients
  • Wholesome plant-powered ingredients

One serving of falooda is:

  • An excellent source of calcium
  • Low in sodium
  • A source of fibre
  • A source of iron
  • A source of vitamin A

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.

*The nutritional breakdown does not include the optional toppings in the analysis.

More easy & healthy Desi (South Asian) recipes you might like:

  1. Masala Chai Vegan Waffles + 3 Incredible Topping Ideas
  2. Handvo Recipe (Indian Vegetable Cake)
  3. Vegan Tikka Masala
  4. Vegan Masala Chai
  5. Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
two glasses and a bottle of rose falooda in a tray with a tray

What’s your favourite celebratory drink? Share in the comment section below!

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Can’t wait to see your photos. 

Desi~liciously Yours, Shahzadi

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two glasses and a bottle of rose falooda in a tray with a pink rose on the side
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Get the Recipe:

Vegan Falooda Recipe (No Added Sugar!)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 glasses
Sweet, floral, and decadent, this homemade royal Falooda recipe is a must-try. Made with rose-infused milk, strands of homemade jelly, basil seeds, and topped with coconut whip and crushed pistachios. Here's everything you need to pull off this easy and healthy Indian drink or dessert — with zero added sugar, yet ALL the flavour.

Ingredients
 

Jelly

  • 1⅓ cup water
  • cup beet juice, pure, unsweetened, cold
  • tsp agar agar, powder

Falooda / Faluda Shake

  • tsp sweet basil seeds
  • ½ cup water
  • 5 Medjool dates, large, pitted, very soft
  • 4 cups oat milk, cold, unsweetened
  • 3 tbsp beet juice, pure, unsweetened
  • tsp rose essence, unsweetened, pure
  • 1 scoop coconut ice cream (optional topping), vegan. You could use coconut whip.
  • 1 tbsp pistachios (optional topping), plain, chopped

Equipment

  • blender

Instructions
 

  • Prepare jelly by heating beet juice, water and agar agar. Whisk and bring to boil. Turn off and remove from heat. Transfer to a glass container, cool for 10 minutes and refrigerate for 20-25 minutes or until set. Meanwhile, prepare the sweet basil seeds.
  • In a small mason jar, combine sweet basil seeds (tukmaria) and water, stir and set aside. The seeds will soak up the water and swell up (about 15 minutes).
  • Once the jelly is set, gently remove it from the container. Using a ridged Y peeler, shave the jelly into fine strands. You could use a knife and slice the jelly very finely; however, this takes longer.
  • Now it's time to make the falooda shake. Blend dates, milk, beet juice and rose essence.
  • Divide the jelly and seeds equally into four medium glasses. Pour the falooda shake over the layers, and top to your heart's content. Though optional, coconut ice cream and pistachios are recommended as toppings! Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Use cold oat milk and beet juice to create a chilled beverage. I store both in the refrigerator overnight because Falooda is best served cold.
  • When making the jelly, don’t forget to bring the beet juice mixture to boil to activate the agar agar.
  • You could prepare the jelly and basil seeds the night before to save time.
  • You want the jelly to be fine strands. That way, they swim in the rose milk instead of sinking to the bottom.
  • Enjoy immediately or chill and use within three to four days. 
  • The nutritional breakdown does not include the optional toppings in its analysis.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 224kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 49g (16%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 3g (5%)Sodium: 131mg (5%)Potassium: 327mg (9%)Fiber: 4g (16%)Sugar: 41g (46%)Vitamin A: 537IU (11%)Calcium: 364mg (36%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Keep in mind that the nutritional values provided are approximations and suggestions, and might fluctuate depending on ingredient variations, portion sizes, and recipe adjustments. This nutrition facts table cannot account for your individual needs. Your body — including your hunger and satiety cues — change daily. It’s perfectly fine to eat more or less on different days. Instead of letting food guilt take over, consider mindful eating.

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cuisine: Desi, ethnic, Indian, pakistani
Course: Drinks
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