Phirni Recipe

Phirni

Phirni recipe is a traditional Indian rice pudding that is prepared with full cream milk, paste of soaked raw rice, sugar and cardamom. The cooked creamy rice mixture is set in earthen clay pots or plates, richly garnished with edible silver leaf and garnished with nuts like pistachios and almonds. Phirni or Firni has its origins in the Middle East and has made its way to the Indian sub continent through the Mughals. You will find this easy sweet dessert prepared in the homes of Hindus and Muslims to celebrate festivals like Eid, Holi and Diwali.

Phirni is one of the easy sweet recipes to make for a beginner with minimal ingredients. Variations to the basic Phirni recipe are endless with the most popular ones being Badami Phirni (flavored with almonds), Kesari (saffron), Gulab (rose), Pistachio, Aam (mango), Strawberry and Chocolate. If you are running out of time and looking for a short cut method to make Phirni, use rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the raw rice with milk.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 1/3 cup (minus 1 tbsp of rice), soaked for 20 mts in water, drained and ground to a fine paste adding 1/2 cup milk
• Full cream milk - 4 cups
• Sugar - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps
• Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pistachios - fistful, blanched, peeled and sliced
• Rose petals - few (optional)
• Saffron - 8-9 strands (optional) soak in 2 tbsps of milk

Method

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Simmer till it reduced to 3/4 th of its original quantity.
2. While the milk is simmering, drain the soaked basmati rice and grind to a fine paste add 1/2 cup of the boiled milk. Remove to a vessel, mix well and set aside.
3. After the milk has reduced to 3/4th of its original quantity, slowly add the ground rice mixture and keep on stirring till it blends well into the milk and it starts to thicken.
4. Keep on stirring so that the bottom does not burn. The stirring could take anytime between 12-15 mts. Add cardamom powder and sugar and continue to stir till the sugar dissolves and it forms a nice creamy mixture with no lumps. Turn off flame.
5. Remove to a serving bowl and chill until serving time. At the time of serving, ladle the phirni into serving bowl, garnish with sliced pistachios and rose petals.

Tips

• 1/4 sugar is usually enough but for a sweeter Phirni, you can add another 2 tbsps of sugar.
• If using saffron, add it to the milk mixture at the time of adding cardamom powder.
• If your Phirni has turned too thick, you can loosen it have adding a few tbsps of boiled milk.