Phirni is a rice pudding that is extra creamy, thick, rich, flavorful, and super delicious. This popular Indian dessert is made with milk, ground rice, sugar, and nuts and flavored with cardamom, saffron, and rose!
The recipe for Kesar Firni, also known as Phirni, is simple, with only a handful of ingredients, yet it yields one of the best desserts.
Difference Between Rice Kheer and Phirni
Although the ingredients of Rice Kheer and Phirni are the same, the methods of preparation differ. The Kheer is made with whole rice grains, and Phirni is made with coarsely ground rice. Additionally, the consistency of these two desserts differs. Phirni is thicker and creamier than Kheer. Rice Kheer can be served warm or chilled, but Phirni should be served chilled.
Creamy and Delicious Phirni
Phirni, also known as Firni, is a popular Indian rice pudding that is perfect for special occasions. It is creamy, rich, thick, and absolutely delicious.
Making Phirni is simple with just a few ingredients; the best part is that it is creamy without the addition of cream. Coarsely ground rice makes the Phirni super creamy and thick. Sugar makes it sweet; saffron, ground cardamom, and rose extract add flavor, and nuts provide a pleasant crunch.
However, you can make this tempting dessert with only milk, rice, sugar, and ground cardamom. And skip the saffron, rose extract, and nuts if you do not want to add them. The recipe is simple but makes a very rich and scrumptious dessert.
Kesar Firni can be served as a dessert with lunch or dinner for a larger meal, or it makes a perfect after-meal treat.
Why You Will Love Kesar Phirni
- Phirni is thick, rich, and incredibly creamy, without the addition of cream.
- It is soft, luscious, and melts in the mouth.
- The recipe is simple and easy to make.
- It requires only a few ingredients.
- It is perfect for special occasions, celebrations, or festivals.
- Kids will also love this Indian dessert.
Ingredients and Notes
- Rice: Use the best quality basmati rice for this recipe. However, if you don’t have basmati rice, you can use other fragrant white rice, but avoid using sticky rice.
- Milk: For the creamy and rich Phirni, use only full-fat or whole milk. With low-fat milk, you will not be able to achieve the same creaminess.
- Sugar: I have used cane sugar to make the Phirni. However, you can use white granulated sugar as an alternative. Additionally, adjust the amount of sugar to suit your preferred sweetness level. Initially, add less sugar than specified in the recipe, mix, and taste. Then, add more sugar as needed.
- Saffron: I always prefer to use saffron in most milk-based Indian desserts or sweets. It provides a great flavor and beautiful color to the dessert. However, to keep the Phirni plain, skip saffron.
- Ground Cardamom: This spice is essential to add flavor to this dessert. I will highly recommend not skipping it.
- Rose or Kewra Extract: Rose extract provides a delicate floral note to the dessert. However, instead of rose extract, you can use Kewra extract or add 1 teaspoon of rose water.
- Nuts: I have added blanched almonds and pistachios to the Phirni. However, if you prefer a smooth texture to your dessert, avoid adding them to Phirni. Instead, use chopped nuts only for garnishing.
How To Make Kesar Phirni
- Rinse the rice a couple of times and soak it in water for about 15 minutes.
- After soaking the rice, drain the water and spread the rice on a tray lined with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
- Allow the rice to dry completely.
- Once dry, transfer the rice to the grinder or blender jar and grind it into a coarse powder.
- Do not grind into a fine powder; the coarse texture should resemble semolina. Set it aside.
- Add milk and saffron strands to a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Heat the milk and bring it to a boil.
- Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering the milk for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the ground rice and stir continuously to prevent lump formation.
- Continue cooking on low heat until the rice is soft, thoroughly cooked, and the Phirni becomes thick and creamy.
- Once Phirni is thick and the rice is cooked, add sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped nuts.
- Stir well, and once the sugar is dissolved, taste the Phirni and add more sugar if required.
- Continue cooking the Phirni for 5-6 minutes, or until you achieve a creamy, pudding-like consistency.
- Finally, add rose or kewra extract, if desired, stir well, and turn off the heat.
- Let the Phirni cool for a short time, and then transfer it to serving bowls.
- Next, place the serving bowls in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve the chilled Phirni garnished with chopped nuts and saffron.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
Phirni is best served chilled. I like to keep it in the fridge overnight, but if you want to serve it the same day, let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours.
Traditionally, Phirni is served in earthen pots. So if you have earthen pots, let the Phirni chill in them.
Phirni will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Helpful Tips For Phirni Recipe
Rice: Do not overwash the rice, as we need to retain some starch for the creamy Phirni. Also, let the rice grains dry entirely before grinding; they should not be wet or moist.
Milk: It is essential to use whole or full-fat milk for the creamy and rich Phirni. Do not use low-fat or fat-free milk for this recipe.
Sugar: I have used cane sugar for this Phirni, but you can use granulated white sugar as an alternative.
Saffron: Saffron adds warm flavor and a beautiful color to the Phirni. However, you can skip it to keep the Phirni plain.
Cardamom Powder: You can skip saffron, but do not skip cardamom, as it provides the necessary flavor to the Phirni.
Rose Extract: I like to add a delicate floral note to this dessert. However, it is optional; you can also add Kewra extract or a teaspoon of rose water for additional flavor.
Nuts: I have added chopped blanched almonds and pistachios to the Phirni. However, you can skip adding the nuts to the Phirni and instead use them only for garnish.
Stirring: Stir the milk at regular intervals to prevent the milk from burning.
Consistency: The Phirni will thicken further upon cooling, so adjust the consistency accordingly while cooking.
More Delicious Desserts
Recipe Card
Phirni Recipe / Kesar Firni
Ingredients
- 1 liter whole or full-fat milk
- ¼ cup (60g) basmati rice
- ½ cup (100g) cane sugar or granulated white sugar (or add to taste)
- 10-15 saffron strands
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 3-4 drops of rose extract or kewra extract (optional)
- 8-10 blanched almonds chopped
- 8-10 unsalted pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the rice couple of times and soak it in water for about 15 minutes.
- After soaking the rice, drain the water and spread the rice on a tray lined with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Allow the rice to become dry completely.
- Once dry, transfer the rice to the grinder or blender jar and grind it into a coarse powder. Do not grind into a fine powder; the coarse texture should resemble semolina.
- Add milk and saffron strands to a heavy-bottomed pan. Heat the milk and bring it to a boil.
- Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering the milk for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ground rice and stir continuously to avoid any lump formation. Continue cooking on low heat until the rice is soft, cooked thoroughly, and Phirni becomes thick and creamy.
- Once Phirni is thick and the rice is cooked, add sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped nuts.
- Stir well and once the sugar is dissolved, taste the Phirni and add more sugar if required. Continue cooking the Phirni for 5-6 minutes or until you get a creamy pudding-like consistency.
- Finally, add rose or kewra extract if you want, stir well, and turn off the heat.
- Let the Phirni cool down for some time, and then transfer it to the serving bowls. Next, place the serving bowls in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Seve the chilled Phirni garnished with chopped nuts and saffron.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Phirni is best served chilled. I like to keep it in the fridge overnight, but if you want to serve it the same day, let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours.
- Traditionally, Phirni is served in earthen pots. So if you have earthen pots, let the Phirni chill into them.
- Phirni will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Rice: Do not overwash the rice, as we need to retain some starch for the creamy Phirni. Also, let the rice grains dry entirely before grinding; they should not be wet or moist.
- Milk: It is essential to use whole or full-fat milk for the creamy and rich Phirni. Do not use low-fat or fat-free milk for this recipe.
- Sugar: I have used cane sugar for this Phirni, but you can use granulated white sugar instead.
- Saffron: Saffron adds warm flavor and a beautiful color to the Phirni. However, you can skip it to keep the Phirni plain.
- Cardamom Powder: You can skip saffron, but do not skip cardamom, as it provides the necessary flavor to the Phirni.
- Rose Extract: I like to add a delicate floral note to this dessert. But it is optional, or you can add Kewra extract or a teaspoon of rose water for the flavor.
- Nuts: I have added chopped blanched almonds and pistachios to the Phirni. But you can skip adding the nuts into the Phirni and instead use the nuts only for garnishing.
- Stirring: Stir the milk at regular intervals to prevent the milk from burning.
- Consistency: The Phirni will be further thickened upon cooling, so keep the Phirni consistency accordingly while cooking.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
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