Phirni or Firni is a traditional dessert which is made using milk and rice. This sweet is a treat is famous around India & has many variations like Punjabi Phirni, Kashmiri Phirni. This is Kolkata Mughlai style rice phirni which is really easy to eat and easy to make too.
Phirni can be served hot or chilled. But its actual taste can be relished only when it is served chilled in a clay pot or an earthen bowl. Clay pot infuses it with the earthy flavour and it also gives an authentic feel. However, you can use your regular serving bowls too.
What is Mughlai Cuisine?
Mughlai cuisine is very rich and diverse and is known as much for its succulent meat recipes and aromatic rice recipes as for its delectable desserts. The rich and indulgent desserts remind you of regal delicacies. Made with flour, fruits, vegetables, spices, essence and syrups, these Mughlai desserts have been loved and longed for by generations through centuries. Try out from this delectable list of amazing Mughal sweets!
It has Kesar, which only gives this dessert a nice color, but also makes it aromatic. Apt for festivals and special occasions, this is one easy dessert that can be made in a jiffy too.
This dessert is,
Creamy
Delicious
Easy to make
Apt for festivals
A favorite in India & in my home too 😋😃
Variations
You can also experiment with the flavors of this homemade Phirni, according to your taste and preference.
You can give it a twist by adding seasonal fruits and make some delectable recipes such as mango, apple, and many more.
YOU CAN EVEN TRY END NUMBER OF RICH & CREAMY PUDDING FRECIPES ROM MY BLOG
KESAR PHIRNI WITH PISTACHIO AND SAFFRON
This phirni is made with very simple ingredients—rice flour, whole milk, sugar and flavoring agents (we are using saffron or zafran in our phirni). Our version is made without any condensed milk or mawa.
The texture is extremely creamy-rich. This milk dessert owes its origin to the Mughlai cuisine. Though this royal sweet dish is served and loved in almost all parts of India, it is a famous delicacy and specialty of Punjab region.When you visit this region, you will see from every roadside dhaba to big and famous restaurants serving this dish with great pride. I remember when we go to my relative place, we definitely stop the dhaba for tasting their food, they have such yummy food always. The phirni is fixed dessert in their menu and that we will get in all seasons.
INGREDIENTS :
Basmati rice (non-parboiled) - 1/2 cup (almost 70-75 grams)
Full-fat milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1/2 cup
1 pinch Salt
Freshly Grounded Cardamom powder - ½ teaspoon
4–5 strands Saffron
Almonds silvered
EQUIPMENT USED
Heavy-bottomed pan
Cling Wrap
Stirring spoon
Ladle
Strainer
Muslin cloth
Mortar and pestle
Clay tea cups or terracotta dishes or kullad cup(to set the phirni in)
PREPARATION METHOD :
1. Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Be careful not to wash more than 2 times or we’ll lose the starch, which we want to preserve for creaminess of the phirni.
2. After 30 minutes of soaking, strain the rice over a muslin cloth or normal cloth and leave it to air-dry.
3. Once dry, transfer rice to a grinder and reduce it to a powder in 2 or 3 short pulses. The grind should neither be too coarse nor too fine.
4. Take 1 cup of milk out of the total milk and mix the rice flour in it. Premixing rice flour with cold milk before adding it to hot milk will prevent clumping.
5. Gently toast some cardamom pods in a pan and crushed them to a powder. Sift through a tea-strainer to ensure the powder is fine. We need ½ a tsp of cardamom powder.
6. Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and reduce it on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then add the rice flour and cold milk mixture and stir immediately to prevent rice from clumping.
7. Add 4 or 5 strands of saffron to the milk. Continue reducing on low heat until phirni thickens. Keep stirring continuously, as that will help release starch and make the phirni creamy.
8. Once the rice is cooked, add sugar and a pinch of salt. Don’t skip the salt—it balances the sweetness and makes a big difference to the taste of phirni! Also add the cardamom powder now.
9. Keep cooking until the phirni reaches the right consistency. It should neither be too thick, nor too thin—when poured, it should just about find its own level.
10 Transfer to the clay tea cups or any ceramic or any clay bowl to set. Cover the bowls/dishes with a cling wrap and place in the fridge for 24 hours to set completely.
11. Sprinkle with almonds or pistachios before serving the mughlai style firni. Serve chilled and Enjoy.
Tips to make perfect phirni
- Use only full cream milk to give the phirni a perfect creamy texture.
- Use only basmati rice to give the dish the perfect royal flavour.
- Add homemade freshly grounded cardamom powder and saffron strands of high-quality to give the phirni a tempting natural aroma.
- Cook the dessert in a heavy bottom pan.
- Keep the rice mixture a bit thick, because after cooling it becomes more thick as phirni is.
