Curry leaves, kokum, and even inji puli are making their way into Mumbai’s ice cream freezers

Southern swirls
Chef Nivedita Ravishankar’s Anandvan Handmade Artisanal Ice Cream has always leaned into memory. With Southern Swirls, a special menu in collaboration with creator Netra Venkat, that nostalgia is now served in four moods. It features the Guntur Express, a dark chocolate ice cream that comes with a sprinkle of Guntur chilli powder and sea salt. Backwaters Bliss turns banana into ice-cream along with some toasted coconut.

Mysuru Morning Swirl is a coffee ice-cream, except this is a vanilla bean ice cream with a filter coffee caramel swirl. And then there’s Chennai Cooler, a buttermilk ice cream tempered with curry leaves. Sounds refreshing for the heat, no? We liked that the ingredients are sourced with care. Chocolate comes from Telangana-based Soothys, vanilla from Karnataka’s Amyra Farms, coffee from Baarbara Estate, roasted by Toise.

At Anandvan Ice Cream, LIC Colony, Vile Parle West.
Call 9820716443
Cost Rs 200 (125 ml), Rs 400 (250 ml)

Seasonally moody
This summer, chef Saloni Kukreja is leaning into what the weather demands. Recently, she announced that her brand, Indu Ice Cream will open a physical space. While we wait for doors to open, order in her flavour of the season. The kokum berry is loved in the South as much as it is in the Konkan. And Indu, serves up a Kokum Sorbet this season. They also have a Kala Khatta and Kokum Sorbet variation for those who prefer a bit of extra tartness.

However, if you would like to stick to the basics, Indu also churns a Filter Kaapi with Hazelnut Ice Cream, and Filter Kaapi with Cheesecake, a combination that could have easily been excessive but somehow holds its own. And for those who want just a little bite of dessert, the Filter Kaapi Dates Bites do the job. A medjool date is stuffed with ice cream, coated in chocolate, and finished with nuts.

At Indu Ice Cream (order online on Swiggy/Zomato)
Call 8108933501
Cost Rs 300 onwards

Vegan-forward
New on Chapel Road, Kold Karobar is not easing you into anything. Run by Pranshu Poddar, this ice cream stands out right from its making. It’s home made with fresh coconut milk only, sweetened with an in-house date syrup and some jaggery.

The standout flavours here are the Inji Puli with Smoked Chilli. Traditionally a Keralam condiment, inji puli is a punchy mix of ginger, tamarind, jaggery, and spice. It is tangy, sweet, and here, it shows up cold. There is also a Curry Patta Ice Cream inspired by curry leaves that is equally distinct.

At Kold Karobar, Chapel Road, opposite Mount Carmel Church, Ranwar, Bandra West.
Call 8110019792 
Cost Rs 270 (Curry Patta), Rs 300 (Inji Puli) for 130 ml

The legacy king
Matunga’s Arya Bhavan does not need to prove anything. This legacy Udupi spot began making ice creams in-house a few years ago, and stayed firmly rooted in what it knows best. All their ice creams carry South Indian flavours, are sweetened with jaggery, and have no unnecessary twists.

The Chikmagalur Coffee Ice Cream gets the balance right. It’s bitter, sweet, and familiar. Tender Coconut is clean, refreshing, almost hydrating in its simplicity. And then there’s Mysore Paak. The rich, ghee-laden pak has magically translated into ice cream without losing its essence.

At Arya Bhavan, Bhanujyoti Building, opposite Matunga (Central) Railway Station, Matunga East. 
Call 9292921919
Cost Rs 200 onwards per scoop