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Home » Sweet Treats

Phirni-an Indian rice pudding

Published: Aug 15, 2018 · Modified: Sep 19, 2023 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Phirni is a delicious and easy Indian rice pudding brought to India by the Mughals. This dessert is a perfect sweet treat for summer and Indian festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Eid.

Indian rice pudding phirni garnished with dried rose petals, pistachio, and saffron served in two clay bowls kept on a blue table cloth

Almost every country across the globe has its own version of rice pudding-like Kheer and Phirni from India,  Riz bi halib from Lebanon, Rizogalo from Greece, Arroz con leche from Spain, Pulut Hitam from Malaysia, Khanom Sor Sai from Thailand, Riz au lait from France. These are just a few examples and I believe there is no country that doesn’t have a unique recipe of rice pudding. The best part is that though rice and milk are used in almost every rice pudding, they all taste different.

I will try to cover rice pudding from different countries in my blog, starting with a recipe from India.

This easy and tasty dessert is believed to be brought to India by the Mughals.

Jump to:
  • What's the difference between Phirni and Kheer?
  • Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
  • Variation suggestions
  • More easy Indian dessert recipes
  • More summer dessert recipes
  • Step by step photo instructions
  • Recipe

What's the difference between Phirni and Kheer?

The method of preparing kheer and phirni is quite similar but there are a few major differences between these two recipes:

  • Kheer is made with whole grains of rice whereas phirni is made with coarsely ground soaked rice. This small difference in one of the steps completely changes the taste and texture of phirni.
  • Kheer can be served hot, warm, or chilled. Phirni is always served chilled. That's why it's considered a great summer dessert and is mainly made during summer festivals of India like Holi and Eid.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

  • While cooking the phirni, ensure to stir it continuously for at least an initial 8-10 minutes. Then keep stirring every 1-2 minutes otherwise you will get lumps in it.
  • Traditionally this dessert is set in clay bowls. In the older days when there were no refrigerators, clay pots were used to keep it chilled. Also, the clay pots absorb all the excess moisture from phirni giving it a very nice texture and firmness. This pudding also gets a delicious subtle earthy taste if served in clay pots.  However, if you could not find clay pots, use normal pudding bowls, the phirni will still be delicious.

Variation suggestions

The recipe which I have shared here is the most basic one. However, it's made in several different forms. Some of the Phirni variation suggestions are given below:

  1. Once the ground rice gets cooked, add the puree of your favorite fruit like mango to make fruit Phirni
  2. Add saffron strands to the milk and make Kesari Phirni.
  3. For a warmer flavor, add ground cinnamon to it.
  4. If you are open to experiments and want to try a non-traditional Phirni flavor, add cocoa powder or ground coffee to it. You can add both also for the Mocha flavored Phirni.

More easy Indian dessert recipes

  1. Orange kheer
  2. Lauki ka halwa
  3. Singhare ka halwa
  4. Seviyan kheer
  5. Mango phirni

More summer dessert recipes

  1. Tropical popsicle
  2. Strawberry cheesecake ice cream
  3. Mango sago pudding
  4. Mango cheesecake ice cream

Step by step photo instructions

Collage of 4 photos showing step by step process of making Phirni
Collage of 4 photos showing step by step process of making Phirni
Indian rice pudding phirni garnished with dried rose petals, pistachio, and saffron served in two clay bowls kept on a blue table cloth

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Recipe

Indian rice pudding phirni garnished with dried rose petals, pistachio, and saffron served in two clay bowls kept on a blue table cloth

Phirni- An Indian rice pudding

A delicious Indian rice pudding brought to India by the Mughals. This dessert is a perfect sweet treat for summers.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Rice soaking time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Vandana Chauhan

Ingredients

  • ½ cup basmati rice
  • 1 litre full cream milk vegans may use cashew milk
  • ½ cup sugar adjust as per taste
  • ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder
  • 5-6 drops rose/ kewra essence

For garnishing (optional)

  • chopped pistachio
  • dried rose petals
  • saffron strands
  • green cardamom powder

Instructions

  • Soak rice in water for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes discard water and put the soaked rice in a grinder with around a tablespoon of water to make a coarse paste. It should be grainy like semolina.
  • In a heavy-bottomed pan boil milk. Add rice paste and cook for 5-7 minutes stirring continuously otherwise lumps will get formed in the milk. After that cook it for another 10-15 minutes stirring in between.
  • When the milk thickens and reduces to almost half in quantity, add sugar, cardamom powder, and rose essence. Mix well and cook for another five minutes or until the sugar gets dissolved.
  • Put the phirni in clay pots or any normal serving bowls and put in the fridge for atleast 2-3 hours.
  • To serve, take out from the fridge, garnish with chopped pistachios, dried rose petals, saffron strands, and cardamom powder. Enjoy chilled!

Notes

  • Traditionally phirni is served in clay pots. It not only keeps it chilled for a longer time but also gives a very nice texture by absorbing the extra moisture. However, if you could not find clay pots, use normal serving bowls.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram #greenbowl2soul

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Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Vandana Chauhan and I am on a mission to explore vegan/ vegetarian recipes from around the world. I am delighted to welcome you to join me on this exciting journey.

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