PHIRNI

Phirni is a traditional North Indian dessert that is prepared with milk, rice, sugar and flavored with cardamom. The cooking method is similar to kheer / payasam, but phirni uses soaked and ground paste of basmati rice, which gives a unique texture to this popular Diwali / Navarathri dessert. If you are running out of time and looking for a short cut method to make Phirni, use rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the raw rice, But i prefer the traditional method.

Ghee-less / Butter-less dessert - Phirni

Recipe for Indian Milk Dessert Phirni 

Cooking time : 20min

Serves : 6 -7 small clay pots

Ingredients :

Basmati rice : 1/2cup
Milk : 4cups, i used 2% fat milk

Sugar : 1/2cup

Cardamom pods : 2, crushed or Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp

Directions :

1. Clean and soak the rice in water for 1 hour. Drain using a seive and keep aside to dry. Now transfer it to the small bowl of mixer grinder and grind to a coarse powder, something like semolina in texture.

2. Now add 1/2 cup milk to the mixer, 2tbsp at a time and grind with rice. Transfer to a heavy bottom vessel and add remaining milk. 

Phirni - A simple milk dessert without ghee / butter

3. Heat in low - medium flame and stir continuously (Keep on stirring, otherwise the phirni will form into lumps). Once the phirni thickens, add sugar and combine well. When its almost done, add cardamom powder and boil for another 2 minitues. Tranfer to clay pots while it is hot and garnish with pistachios / almonds.

Notes :

If your Phirni is too thick, you can add  few tbsps of boiled milk and make a perfect phirni.