Prerna Singh with a rich and creamy rice pudding dessert.
By Prerna Singh
Firni is very much like kheer (rice pudding) where you cook rice with milk reducing it to a creamy rich texture. Only in this a thick paste of ground rice and cashews is used instead of whole rice. Sugar is used as a sweetener and saffron and/or crushed cardamom seeds are used for aroma. You can garnish it with dry fruits of your choice. 
Phirni (Ground Rice Pudding)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Firni is very much like kheer (rice pudding) where you cook rice with milk reducing it to a creamy rich texture. Only in this a thick paste of ground rice and cashews is used instead of whole rice. Sugar is used as a sweetener and saffron and/or crushed cardamom seeds are used for aroma. You can garnish it with dry fruits of your choice.
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice
- 1/2 cashew nuts
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds (crushed)
- 1–2 pinches of saffron
- 1 cup half n half
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean rice with water. Mix cashews and rice together and soak in water for a couple hours.
- Strain all the excess water and using a food processor or blender make a paste of rice and cashews. (Paste should not be very smooth but granular so that you can feel the texture when rubbed with fingers). Set aside
- Heat milk in a thick bottom pan or deep dish. Bring it to boil and reduce temperature once milk starts bubbling.
- Cook milk at low temperature stirring frequently until the milk reduces to its 3/4th quantity.
- Now add the rice and cashew paste, saffron and half n half. Stir frequently until the pudding starts to thicken which will not take long after you add rice mixture to milk.
- Once the thickening process starts add sugar and cardamom seeds. Keep stirring.
- Once all the sugar is dissolved and rice and cashews are cooked the pudding is ready.
- Now it depends on you of what consistency you want your pudding to be.If you like it a little loose and flowing then turn of the heat. If like me you like it thicker and able to hold itself then cook a little further.
- Once you turn of the heat let it cool a little. Stir it ever once in a while preventing from forming a thick layer on top.
- Once the pudding is cooled down a little but still warm transfer it to serving dishes and either let it chill before serving or you can also serve it warm garnished with pomegranate seeds.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
