Doodh Pheni Recipe
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Doodh pheni is a delicate, traditional Indian dessert in which crispy, flaky pheni is gently soaked in warm, sweetened, flavored milk until it softens into silky strands. This light, subtly sweet dessert is popular in North India during Karwachauth, as a winter breakfast, and for special family occasions. Make it using my easy recipe.
If you enjoy milk-based Indian desserts, you may also like: Rabdi, seviyan kheer, rice kheer, and doodh pak.
Quick Look: Doodh Pheni
Soaking Time: Overnight (nuts and saffron)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: Overnight soak + 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: Approx. 500 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Blender for nut paste, saucepan, shallow serving plates.
Table of Contents
What Is Doodh Pheni?
Doodh is milk in Hindi, and pheni is a thin, vermicelli-like fried pastry.
Doodh pheni, also called sutarpheni or feni, is made by soaking pheni in hot, sweetened milk that is flavored with saffron, cardamom, and sugar. It is then topped with crunchy nuts, such as almonds and pistachios. The milk softens the crisp pheni, creating a melt-in-the-mouth dessert that is neither dense nor overly sweet.
Unlike heavy Indian sweets soaked in sugar syrup, doodh pheni celebrates texture and milkiness, making it a nostalgic favorite in many Indian homes.
This dessert is popularly made for the festival of Karwachauth. Ladies eat it as sargi (an early-morning breakfast) before commencing the fast. I grew up eating it for breakfast in winter;s that’s how it is relished in Rajasthan, my dad’s hometown. You can also serve it as a light dessert after your Indian style meals.
Ingredients
Dried Nuts – Almonds and cashew nuts are used to add creaminess and richness to the milk.
Flavorings – The milk used to soak the pheni is flavored with saffron, cardamom powder, and sugar.
Milk & Milk Powder – I always use whole milk (full-fat) because it adds richness to the dish. I also add some milk powder to further enhance the richness.
Pheni is available at Indian or Pakistani grocery stores.
Garnish the dudh pheni with crushed almonds, pistachios, and rose petals.
How To Make Dudh Pheni
1. Soak the nuts & saffron: Soak 10-12 almonds and 10-12 cashews in ¼ cup of water each overnight. Soak 12-15 strands of saffron in 1 tablespoon milk overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Blanch the almonds: Remove the peel from the blanched almonds.
3. Make a nut paste: Add the blanched almonds, soaked cashew nuts, along with the water in which they were soaked, and 3 tablespoons of sugar to a small blender jar. Blend to make a smooth paste.
4. Heat the milk: Add 2 cups of milk to a pan along with 2 tablespoons of milk powder and saffron soaked in milk. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.
5. Flavor: Add the nut paste and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, 5-6 crushed almonds, and 5-6 crushed pistachios, and cook for another minute.
6. Pour milk over pheni: Arrange pheni on a shallow serving plate. Pour piping hot milk over the pheni and let it rest for 5 minutes. The pheni will absorb the milk and soften into tender strands.
7. Garnish: Garnish with chopped nuts and dried rose petals and serve hot.
Storage Suggestions
Doodh pheni is best consumed immediately. Do not refrigerate after soaking, as the texture turns mushy.
You can prepare the flavored milk in advance and add pheni just before serving.
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Doodh Pheni Recipe
Ingredients
For The Nut Paste
- 10-12 almonds
- 10-12 cashew nuts
- 12-15 strands of saffron
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For The Flavored Milk
- 1 tablesppon milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons milk powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 5-6 almonds (crushed)
- 5-6 pistachios (crushed)
To Assemble
- 75 grams pheni
- 1 teaspoon crushed almonds
- 1 teaspoon crushed pistachios
- ½ teaspoon crushed dried rose petals
Instructions
- Soak the nuts & saffron: Soak almonds and cashews in ¼ cup of water each overnight. Soak saffron in 1 tablespoon milk overnight in the refrigerator.
- Blanch the almonds: Remove the peel from the blanched almonds.
- Make a nut paste: Add the blanched almonds, soaked cashew nuts, along with the water in which they were soaked, and sugar to the small jar of a blender. Blend to make a smooth paste.
- Heat the milk: Add milk and milk powder to a pan. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.
- Flavor: Add the saffron-soaked milk and nut paste, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cardamom powder, crushed almonds, and crushed pistachios, and cook for another minute.
- Pour milk over pheni: Arrange pheni on a shallow serving plate. Pour piping hot milk over the pheni and let it rest for 5 minutes. The pheni will absorb the milk and soften into tender strands.
- Garnish: Garnish with chopped nuts and dried rose petals and serve hot.
This dish brings back so many childhood memories. So comforting!