Kesar Makhana Phirni is a delicious Indian dessert made using milk, roasted foxnuts and saffron and it can be had for falahar or vrat.. Here is a simple recipe to make this dessert.
Phirni is a timeless pudding which is mainly prepared in North India on several occasions such as Karva Chauth, Diwali et al.
It is a quintessentially creamy dessert, made using full cream milk, various flavourings which make Phirni more decadent. As I have a terrible sweet tooth, I am always on a look for desserts which can be easily made. And Phirni is definitely one of them.
Out of my love for saffron, I have prepared Shahi Kesar Khoya Phirni a dozen of times whereas refreshing Gulab Phirni still makes my mouth water.
But during summer, a bowl of chilled Thandai Phirni and Mango Phirni seem like a welcomed relief. However, I thought of customizing Phirni especially for fasts/vrats so that one can relish their favourite dessert without any spiritual reservations.
So, yesterday, the idea to preparing Kesar Makhana Phirni hit me out of the blue!
I have used Makhana for making various curries, raitas and snacks, however, trying Kesar Makhana Phirni was a whole new experience for me. Kesar Makhana Phirni has this beautiful blend of full cream milk, makhana, saffron, cardamom and dry fruits.
While making Kesar Makhana Phirni, make sure that you roast makhana first, crush it and then add it to the milk so that the makhana become soft instead of becoming chewy. Once the crushed makhana is added to the milk, all it needs is a gentle simmer till it turns all thick.
Once the mix attains the right consistency, you can add sugar to it, flavour it with cardamom and serve it in tiny clay bowls. Garnish Kesar Makhana Phirni with loads of almonds, pistachio slivers and have an amazing dessert with your family this Navratri!
How to make Kesar Makhana Phirni Step by Step
Heat ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add Makhane and fry until they are crisp.
Remove the pan from heat and let the Makhane cool. Crush the Makhane to make a coarse powder.
Heat milk in a pan.
Once the milk comes to a boil, add saffron strands in it.
Let the milk cook on low heat until it is reduced to half. Add the Makhana powder in the milk and cook until the mixture thicken to a phirni consistency which is slightly thicker than kheer.
Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for another minute.
Remove the phirni from heat and transfer it in clay serving bowls. Chill the phirni for a few hours before serving. Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.
Kesar Makhana Phirni Recipe

Kesar Makhana Phirni
Kesar Makhana Phirni is a delicious Indian dessert made using milk, roasted foxnuts and saffron and it can be had for falahar or vrat.. Here is a simple recipe to make this dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 cups Makhana
- 1 litre Full Fat Milk
- 10-12 strands Saffron
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
- Almond and Pistachio slivers for Garnishing
Instructions
Heat ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add Makhane and fry until they are crisp.
Remove the pan from heat and let the Makhane cool.
Crush the Makhane to make a coarse powder.
Heat milk in a pan.
Once the milk comes to a boil, add saffron strands in it.
Let the milk cook on low heat until it is reduced to half.
Add the Makhana powder in the milk and cook until the mixture thicken to a phirni consistency which is slightly thicker than kheer.
Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for another minute.
Remove the phirni from heat and transfer it in clay serving bowls.
Chill the phirni for a few hours before serving.
Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.
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hem lata
super delicious phirni
msnehamathur
Thnx Hemlata.