Phirni or Firni is a traditional Kashmiri dessert which is made using milk and rice. This Mughlai sweet is a treat to eat and is very easy to make. Here is how to make it.
In India, each and every celebration begins with food.
Be it a festival, a special occasion or get together, a festive meal is made in each and every household to celebrate it with friends and family.
While meals are important, snacks and desserts play an essential role during this time.
Making snacks is easy but I always get in a dilemma about what to make for dessert, which will be relished by everyone, be it a kid or an adult.
Every single time, the answer is PHIRNI.
Simple to make, popular and delicious, Pheerni will be a sure shot winner at your dining table this festive season.
Do give this recipe a try for your next festive meals and you will love every bite of it.
What is Phirni?
Firni is a rich & creamy dessert that is prepared with a rice blend and is infused with aromatic essence.
It was traditionally made in Kashmir but is now popular all over India and even Pakistan.
Made with milk and rice, this dessert is very similar to Kheer, which will definitely satisfy your taste buds to the T.
Since this has been made from the times of kings, some people also call it Shahi Phirni.
Phirni Vs Kheer
Both Phirni and Kheer have the same ingredients but they differ in the process of making and even the final taste.
In kheer, short-grain rice is cooked with milk while in firni, rice is ground to a coarse paste and then cooked with milk.
The consistency of phirni is thicker than that of kheer.
Ingredients
To make this Firni, rice is soaked in water for a few minutes and then ground into a coarse paste.
You can choose any flavourful rice to make this dessert.
It is then added to milk and cooked until this mixture of milk and rice becomes thick.
To give a hint of flavor and fragrance, saffron and rose water are added to the milk which also adds beautiful color to it.
It is garnished with lots of dry fruits, as it adds a delicious crunch to the dessert.
I have used silvered Almonds and Pistachios, but you can use dry fruits of your choice.
Variations
You can also experiment with the flavours of this homemade Phirni, according to your taste and preference.
You can give it a twist by adding seasonal fruits and make some delectable Phirni recipes such as Mango, Apple, Strawberry or Orange Phirni, etc.
Try some of my favorite recipes such as Thandai Phirni which is perfect for Holi as well.
Add some Khova to make Shahi Kesar Khoya Phirni.
You can also substitute rice with sooji/semolina and make a delicious Sooji Firni.
It is a great option if you want to avoid rice in your meals.
Serving Suggestions
I prefer to serve this creamy and succulent Phirni in kullads or earthen pots, as the raw and rustic smell of these pots blends amazingly well with the dessert and these pots also look attractive to see.
The clay pot also absorbs some liquid making it even creamier.
After adding Phirni into these earthen pots, garnish it with a few saffron strands and slivered dry fruits and store them in a refrigerator for an hour.
Chilled Phirni tastes the best, but if you prefer it hot, you can serve it as soon as it is made.
So do give this recipe a try, and if you are experimenting with the flavors of this traditional dessert, do let me know.
I would love to know what more flavours can be incorporated into this delicious Fhirni.
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Step by Step Recipe
Wash and soak rice for an hour.
Drain the water and blend the rice in a blender to make a coarse paste. Add very little water if required.
In a heavy bottom pan, add ghee.
When the ghee is hot, add the milk.
Add the rice and saffron to the milk.
Simmer the heat and cook till the milk is reduced to 1/2 and phirni has reached the desired consistency. Keep stirring continuously. Keep in mind that it will further thicken on cooling.
Add sugar and rose water. Transfer the phirni into earthen bowls. ( or regular if not available ) Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Chill for a few hours before serving.
Kesar Phirni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 litre Full Fat Milk
- 3 tbsp Rice
- 1 tsp Ghee
- 15-20 strands Saffron
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Rose water
- Almond and Pistachio Slivers for Garnishing
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice for an hour.
- Drain the water and blend the rice in a blender to make a coarse paste.
- Add very little water if required.
- In a heavy bottom pan, add ghee.
- When the ghee is hot, add the milk.
- Add the rice and saffron to the milk.
- Simmer the heat and cook till the milk is reduced to 1/2 and phirni has reached the desired consistency.
- Keep in mind that it will further thicken on cooling.
- Add sugar and rose water.
- Transfer the phirni into earthen bowls.( or regular if not available )
- Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios.
- Chill for a few hours before serving.
Notes
Manjula Bharath
wow thats an delicious phirni and looks so yummy dear 🙂
Subha Subramanian
Lovely Phirni……..Looks delicious………
Divya Shivaraman
so perfectly done…phirni looks super delicious
Sona S
Phirni looks very delicious.
Somdutta
Hi Neha ,I like your recipe,I tried with strawberry ,it came well.
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear!