Phirni is a thick dessert made from sweetened milk and topped with some nuts. The most common phirni dessert is made from rice, although we can make it with rava/ semolina too!
This dessert is one of the first desserts I probably learnt back in those days, I didn’t know how to cook! Its so easy and requires such few ingredients. My grandmother used to cook this for Eid and I learnt it from her……. just that we improvise it over the years:)
This is very similar to all the payasam and kheer recipes. the consistency for this phirni is as per taste. some like it thick and some like it thinner. so you can add milk accordingly. this recipe makes it on the thicker side.
you can skip the saffron but it give you a slight tinge of that beautiful yellow. the rose water too is optional but it gives it that little extra.
INGREDIENTS:
milk – 600 ml
rava/ sooji – 1/2 cup (dry roasted. see notes)
milkmaid/ condensed milk – 1 and 1/2 cups
cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
rose water – 1/4 tsp
pinch of saffron
sliced mixed nuts (usually almonds and pistachios)/raisins – for garnishing
PROCESS:
- In a saucepan, heat the the 500ml milk.
- Once it has come to a boil, add in the rava and keep stirring so that there are no lumps. Keep the flame on low.
- The rava cooks very fast. After the milk + rava has thickened, add in the condensed milk. Keep stirring.
- Add in the cardamom powder and saffron.
- Once you have reached the desired consistency, (let it be slightly thinner because it will thicken more on cooling.) Add the rose water and switch off the flame.
- Garnish with mixed nuts before serving.
- Serve hot or cold.
NOTES:
- Dry roast the rava for a few minutes before using without changing the colour. If the rava you buy says it has already been roasted, you can skip this step.
- This phirni like most milk sweets becomes thick very fast. so you can always add more milk and heat it if it has become thick before serving.
