If you want a light and sweet dessert with a touch of the exotic, then this recipe is perfect for you. That’s exactly what I was in the mood for one day, and I knew right away that firni would hit the spot.

What is Firni?

Firni, also spelled as phirni or phirnee, is a creamy rice pudding. It is made by cooking ground rice with milk and sugar until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Firni is often garnished with nuts and dried fruits and served chilled. It is a popular dessert in many regions of Pakistani, India, and Bangladesh, especially during festive occasions and celebrations.

Rose/Pistachio Firni

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Ingredients

4 1/2 cups Whole milk
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 cup Basmati rice
6 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Root Afza or Rose syrup
Almonds
Pistachio
Rose petals

Instructions

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Then, soak the rice in water for half an hour.
After soaking, drain the rice and transfer it to a blender. Add a few tablespoons of milk to the blender. Blend the rice until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
In a large, thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it starts to boil.
Once the milk is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and gradually add the rice paste to the milk, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
Cook the rice in the milk for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is fully cooked and the mixture thickens.
Add sugar and rose syrup to the pudding, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar or rose syrup if desired.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pudding rest for 5 minutes.
Transfer the phirni to a large serving bowl or individual dessert bowls and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, refrigerate the phirni for a couple of hours to allow it to set properly.
Before serving, garnish the chilled phirni with chopped nuts and dried rose petals.
Serve cold and enjoy the delicious homemade phirni!

Notes

It is important to use whole milk in this recipe to achieve the creamy texture. Doing so will ensure that you do not need to add any canned condensed milk or pother such products.
A shortcut method to make firni is to use store-bought rice flour instead of making your own rice paste.