59 years old, 33 flavours: Pune's iconic sweet shop serves dessert drinks with real fruits, pulp and cream. They are neither ice cream nor milkshakes

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Creamy and indulgent, they make our hearts leap with joy from the first slurp itself. The same goes for milkshakes. These classic delights, often leaving a moustache on our upper lips, have long defined our sweet cravings. But one legendary sweet shop in Pune serves a kind of dessert that’s neither an ice cream nor a milkshake and yet tastes like pure, velvety perfection. For non-Punekars, we are talking about Sujata Mastani, offering its iconic ‘mastani’ drinks for over 59 years. A shop that initially had only 2 flavours now boasts more than 30 varieties.

All you need to know about Sujata Mastani

Long before Sujata Mastani built its legacy, the shop’s seeds were sown by Raoji Mama Kondhalkar. At just 14, he left his village near Satara and migrated to Pune with no concrete plan to support a sustainable income, reported The Better India. Eventually, he set up a pan shop near Sadashiv Peth.

Later, Raoji Mama Kondhalkar’s son Sharadrao took over the business, rented a grocery shop near the pan stall and started selling cold drinks and ice cream. Finally, in 1968, this rented shop was rechristened as Sujata after his daughter and started selling mastani. Before Kondhalkar's edition, Mastani was prepared using milk and ice cubes, topped with ice cream and rose syrup, but Sharadrao gave a unique spin to the dessert.

How are mastani drinks made

Sharadrao Kondhalkar made the Mastani drink thick, creamy, and unapologetically indulgent through a milkshake-ice cream fusion. He did not use ice but replaced it with ice cream blended in the milk. The procedure cooled the milk better, enhanced the taste and thickened the delicious preparation.

According to Humans of Bombay, Sujata Mastani initially specialised in 2 flavours - pista and rose mastani. Now, as per Sharadrao Kondhalkar’s son Sachin, the shop prepares a wide range of flavours including dry fruit, kesar, mango, pineapple, orange, chocolate, and strawberry, to name a few, with mango being one of the most beloved flavours among customers, available throughout the year. The ingredients that go into the mix include milk, fresh fruits, pulp and cream.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay)

Final takeaway

Inspired by the traditional French pot-style technique of preparing ice cream, mastani has been adapted to suit local tastes by eliminating eggs, making it ideal for Pune's large vegetarian community. Rich yet wholesome, the dessert is prepared without any preservatives or artificial additives, using natural ingredients to retain its authentic flavour. Decades after its creation, it continues to be a favourite summer treat for locals, with its distinctive taste and creamy texture earning it an enduring place in Pune's culinary heritage.