A Brooklyn Ice-Cream Shop Plays With The Flavours Of India

I’ve never met a problem, an ice-cream couldn’t fix. From mini heart breaks to major PMS; a tub of ice cream has helped me survive it all. Pooja Bavishi too understood the connection of happiness and desserts, when she baked a cheesecake from scratch at the age of 10. A business graduate from NYU, Pooja decided to spread happiness all over New York City with Malai.

Malai is a hand-crafted artisanal ice cream store that serves scoops of nostalgia and culture from Pooja’ childhood. Finding inspiration from her always-stocked spice cabinet Pooja decided to give the classic ice cream a cultural twist by adding a dash of ginger and star anise. And Voila! Nearly two decades later what started as an experiment for a friend’s-giving, is now taking Brooklyn’s taste buds for a traditional ride.

In the city of innovative ice cream makers, Malai stands out with 19 flavors that combine sweet and savory into various robust flavors from her treasure trove of nostalgia and heritage. With flavors like Masala Chai, Lemon Cardamom, Turkish Coffee, and Pooja’s personal favorite Orange fennel are an unexpected combination that is a treat for the taste buds.

Apart from the crazy combinations, the ice cream is eggless. “I wanted it to be eggless because eggs have a flavor, and light but rich and decadent,” says Pooja. They first started selling out of Brooklyn FoodWorks, but Malai now has another outlet at the Gotham Market in Downtown Brooklyn. Taking old traditions to make something new, Malai is a proof that sugar and spice really do make everything nice.