Phirni - Creamy Rice Flour Pudding

Phirni - Creamy Rice Flour Pudding



Ingredients (Serves: 6)

• 6 cups: Milk
• 3 tbs: Rice preferably long - grained (called Basmati in India)
• 9 tbs: Sugar (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp: Cardamoms (powdered)
• 1½ tbs: Almonds (blanched and sliced)
• 1½ tbs: Pistachios (sliced)
• 1½ tbs: Cashew nuts (sliced)
• A few strands of saffron soaked in a little milk.

Method

1. Wash the rice and soak it in a little water for about 40 minutes. Grind the rice with just enough water in which it was soaked to make a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Pour the milk in a vessel and bring it to a boil on medium heat. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, take a little of this hot milk in a bowl, add the rice paste and dilute it to a very thin consistency. Add this to the simmering milk and mix, stirring continuously. Cook on low heat for 16 minutes or till the milk has thickened. Add sugar and stir well. Keep on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the saffron and sprinkle cardamom powder on top.
3. Garnish with sliced almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts.
4. Serve chilled.

Instead of soaking the rice for long,you can microwaved it for 2mins.Also,if you are too lazy to wait for the milk to thicken,you may add 2 tbsp of rice flour mixed with 1/4 cup of water,this will help in thickening faster.Adding Mango to this would be Mango Phirni,adding Banana would be Banana Phirni and so on.