A rice and milk dessert



Phirni is one of the easy sweet recipes to make for a beginner with minimal ingredients.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 5
Main Ingredients: rice 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
Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Simmer till it reduced to 3/4 th of its original quantity.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Phirni recipe, a rice & milk based dessert is a gem among Punjabi recipes. Recipe of Phirni is categorized under Indian sweet recipes that are easy to make.