Phirni’s History and How to Prepare It at Home

There are rice treats everywhere in the globe, and every nation has its own unique recipe. We can’t even agree on a single name for these beloved rice dishes inside India. There are several names for our favorite rice treats, including Phirni. Other names for them include payesh, payasam, and kheer.

Phirni: What Is It?
Fundamentally, phirni is a rice pudding prepared with finely crushed rice that is slowly cooked in milk with sugar and served in a clay pot called a matka, adorned with almonds, dried fruits, and silver foil known as varq. It is especially common in India’s northern regions and is often served cold. It has a lot of similarities to another popular Indian rice dessert called kheer. The main differences are that kheer, often referred to as payasam or payesh, is made with whole rice grains and may be eaten warm with fruits.

Phirni’s Past

Rice pudding has been a favorite food in India from around 6000 BCE. It is first mentioned in the epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, where it is called “ksheer” or “kshirika” in Sanskrit, meaning a meal made with milk. The word eventually became to “kheer,” which is now the most widely used name for the dessert. Still, multiple names for the meal have resulted from geographical differences.

Drawing on Farsi, the Mughals are credited for renaming kheer as firni or phirni. Pherni is usually decorated with edible silver leaves called chaandi ka varq, dried fruits, and rose petals. It is often served in ceramic bowls called kulhars or shikoras.

Pherni was a regular addition to the Mughal cuisine throughout time, and as its renown grew outside of the courts, it evolved into the adored desi dessert that it is today.

Follow this easy recipe to create some delicious Phirni at home.
Recipe for Phirni: Ingredients:
A heaping spoonful and a half of basmati rice
Two cups, or around 500 ml whole-cream milk
1 tablespoon plus 1/8 cup of sugar
5 saffron threads
One-fourth teaspoon powdered cardamom
chopped mixed nuts (almonds and pistachios) for garnish
Technique:
After rinsing, soak the basmati rice in water for one hour.
After the rice has soaked, transfer it to a blender and pulse it with a little amount of water to create a semi-fine paste with a hint of coarseness. Put aside.
Heat the milk to a boil in a large pan with a sturdy bottom.

Soak the saffron threads in a tablespoon of heated milk in a small basin. Put aside.
Place the rice paste into the pan and boil the milk for three minutes.

Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat for ten to twelve minutes, whisking often to prevent lumps. Make sure the rice is cooked through; if not, cook it for a further five minutes.

Add the sugar and saffron milk mixture to the pan with the cooked rice. Mix thoroughly.

Cook until the liquid thickens to a pudding-like consistency and the sugar is entirely dissolved. After that, turn off the heat and stir in the cardamom powder.
Transfer the phirni mixture into serving dishes and sprinkle chopped nuts and saffron on top.

Before serving, place the phirni in the fridge for at least one hour.
Enjoy your tasty phirni while it’s cold!