Fresh fruits, creamy buffalo milk, no preservatives: This 55-year-old Mumbai shop sells handmade ice creams with over 50 flavours. How two brothers kept a family legacy alive through innovation and tradition

Ice cream has always been one of the simplest pleasures. But what people look for in a scoop has drastically changed over the years. While convenience and mass-produced desserts once dominated the market, many consumers today are paying closer attention to ingredients, favouring options made with fresh produce, fewer additives and a more handcrafted approach. A brand that fits the list is Mumbai’s Apsara Ice Creams, offering over 50 varieties of hand-churned ice cream made traditionally from thick and creamy buffalo milk, fresh fruits and with zero preservatives.

All about Mumbai’s Apsara ice cream

Established in 1971 in Mumbai’s Walkeshwar area, Apsara Ice Creams was founded by Nemchand Shah with the help of his brother Jayant Shah, who moved from Kutch to Mumbai, as per a report by the Official Humans of Bombay. Their motto? Making ice creams which were made with real ingredients and no additives or shortcuts.



At first, the outlet served only 3 ice cream flavours: mango, orange, and sitaphal churned up in wooden sanchas. In 1985, its new flavour, Roasted Almond, became a hit among sweet-tooths, drawing long queues for its creamy and nutty goodness. As word of mouth spread, the family set up their first factory in 1990, introducing 2 new variations: Pan Pasand, Crunchy Chikki and Guava Chilli. By 2004, the brand had already rolled out sugar-free options before diversifying into milkshakes, kulfi, and sorbets by 2009.

How the ice creams are made traditionally

The process of creating the ice cream is equally fascinating. Fresh buffalo milk is slowly boiled until its quantity reduces significantly, naturally concentrating the milk, increasing its fat content and giving the final product its signature rich and creamy texture. Once boiled, the milk is passed through a high-pressure homogeniser that breaks down the fat particles evenly throughout the mixture, preventing the cream from separating and ensuring a smoother consistency in every scoop.


The milk is then cooled before ingredients are added according to each recipe, like fresh fruits, dry fruits, chocolate, sugar or other flavouring components. The prepared mixture is transferred into freezers where it is churned carefully. Controlled amounts of air create a light yet indulgent mouthfeel while maintaining the dense texture the brand is known for. Finally, the freshly churned ice cream is moved into a hardening room and rapidly cooled to temperatures as low as -40°C, minimising ice crystal formation, while also naturally extending the shelf life.

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Unique pani puri flavoured ice cream

As per Keyur Shah, the son of Nemchand Shah, the brand’s special mango ice cream is sourced from real and fresh Alphonso mangoes from Ratnagiri, directly from the farms. But the stand-out flavour, he deemed, was the pani puri one, which is prepared without milk. It is made by mixing the ingredients of the pani puri, including mint, coriander and chaat masala, making the concoction both spicy and sweet. On top of it, Apsara Ice Cream sprinkles its special homemade masala too for that extra zing.