Phirni ( A tasty dessert )

Makes : 4 - 6 flat earthen bowls / shikoras

Phirni is a popular dessert in North India ( especially in Lucknow ). You can prepare and set it in normal dessert bowls. But traditional method is in earthen bowls.

Cooking time: 35 minutes

You will need

500 ml milk
3 tablespoon basmati rice
1/2 cup ( 100 g ) sugar
4 pinches cardamom powder
1 tablespoon pistachio or almond slices
4 flat earthen bowls / shikoras
1/2 teaspoon saffron ( optional )

Method

Arrange earthen bowls and keep aside.

Wash basmati rice and drain out water. Spread it on a kitchen towel and keep aside for drying. Make a coarse powder ( not fine flour ) in a mixer ( like rawa ( sooji ) consistency.

Boil milk ( do not dilute with water ) in a thick bowl / vessel.

Add ground rice ( 2 teaspoon at a time ), stirring constantly on a low heat; repeat till all the ground rice has been added. Keep stirring on low heat for 15 - 18 minutes ( you can find a reduction in quantity ). At this point add sugar and stirring constantly for 10 minutes on a low heat. Now the rice mixture is like porridge ( very thick in consistency ). Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Pour 1 ladle spoon ( 50 - 75 ml ) rice mixture in each earthen bowls. Decorate with almond or pistachio slices and saffron ( optional ). Keep aside to cool and later chill for an hour.

After it is fully set and cold, if you turn it upside down the phirni won’t fall out. That’s is the perfect setting.