Rose Phirni (Firni) Recipe with Pistachio Brittles

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This creamy and out-of-the-world,  Rose Phirni (Firni) Recipe with Pistachio brittles also called shahi firni, is going to be your next best thing to celebrate the festivals with friends and families!! This Indian rice pudding is slow-cooked with milk, sugar, and semi-ground basmati rice and then flavored with a hint of rose water and topped with pistachio brittles for an added crunch !!!

I made this Rose Pista Phirni celebrate Holi with my family and friends.

ABOUT THIS GULAB PHIRNI RECIPE

My two boys and my husband love Holi. Every year, they go out and color themselves beyond recognition, while I stay home and enjoy my me time. Read: Making something delicious in the kitchen while blasting the music. This year for Holi, I prepared a Rose Pistachio Phirni with a pistachio brittle. That Pistachio crumble idea came from my sister who lives in Chandigarh and is an amazing cook herself. We were just exchanging ideas on phone and she said – why don’t you top the phirnis with some homemade pistachio crumble. And that’s it.  She gave me an idea and I ran with it.

This Rose Phirni OR Gulab firni is made with ground basmati rice cooked in reduced full cream milk which is simmered and reduced till thick and creamy. Then flavored with dried rose petals, crushed cardamom, powdered sugar. Can you beat that combination in taste?
The crushed rose petals add a very subtle rose fragrance that screams romance and delicacy. And not to mention, I went an extra step and crunched up some pistachio brittle as a topping. Enjoy my friends.

Any Indian Festival – be it, Holi or Diwali isn’t complete without some lip-smacking desserts! Holi or the Festival of Color is coming up. Not a Holi person. Never played Holi in my life. I and my dad would hide behind locked doors and would refuse to come out until we were assured that all the friends with their buckets of colored water have left. Yes, I am not fond of Holi as a festival. But it’s a beautiful festival – literally.  And Holi means lots and lots of yummy treats. Starting from yummy starters like Aloo Chops (Potato Fritters) to delectable sweets like Kesar Peda,  Gulab Peda, or creamy Kheer, Holi brings people together over good food and great drinks!

WHAT IS FIRNI

And those who don’t know what a Phirni is, Phirni is a North Indian rice pudding dessert almost a Synonym of kheer – Asian sweet rice pudding, made with crushed rice and reduced milk and then flavored with saffron, cardamom, pistachio, or rose petals. It is DELICIOUS. Firni is usually served in small earthen pots either chilled or warm. Either way, you can never have enough of this Rose Pistachio Phirni

Phirni recipe was brought to Kashmir by the Mughals but it is now popular all over India and even Pakistan.

IS PHIRNI SAME AS KHEER?

The difference between kheer and phirni is that kheer is made using whole rice grains while rice is ground coarsely to make phirni. Phirni is also thicker and creamier in consistency than kheer. Kheer can be served hot or cold but phirni is always served chilled.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE FUSION DESSERT

• This shahi firni is rich, creamy and a perfectly indulgent dessert
• Makes a great celebratory dessert for festive occasions like Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Karwa Chauth, Holi, and any special occasion.
• You can double or triple the recipe as per your needs
• Change the flavors as per your taste. You can load the firni with nuts to make it healthier
• The Pista Brittle on top adds the much-needed crunch to the creamy dessert and makes a great fusion dessert and gives it a fancy vibe.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE FIRNI

• ROSE WATER: Flavor the rice pudding with rosewater for a traditional shahi taste. A little bit of rose water goes a long way.
• SUGAR: White granulated sugar will work best
• RICE:  Any fragrant white rice will work to make this dessert. I use basmati rice but Gobindo Bhog will work wonderfully as well.
• MILK: Whole milk (full-fat milk) is best to make phirni.
• PISTACHIO:  pistachios used for making a brittle for a lovely crunch. You can skip the brittle part and just add pistachios on top too.
• SILVER BARK, DRIED ROSE PETALS: Optional.

HOW TO MAKE ROSE FIRNI

PISTACHIO BRITTLE

STEP 1: SOAK THE RICE

Rinse the white rice with water and soak in water for half an hour.

Drain the water and add the soaked rice to the small jar of a blender or a small food processor along with some water and blend to make a coarse paste. Scrape the sides of the jar a few times while blending.

STEP 2: BOIL AND SIMMER THE MILK

Boil whole milk (full-fat milk) in a deep-bottomed pot and bring it to a boil. Stir frequently while heating to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan. Once you get the first boil, reduce the heat and let the milk simmer on low heat.

STEP 3: ADD THE GROUND RICE PASTE TO THE REDUCED MILK

Once the 1/4th of the milk is reduced, add the ground rice paste and stir well.

Cook for 40-50 minutes until the phirni has thickened, stirring at regular intervals while cooking to avoid the formation of lumps. The consistency of rose phirni should be like that of a thick rice pudding.

Keep scraping the sides of the pan regularly and add the thickened milk back to the pan.

STEP 4: ADD SUGAR

Add sugar and rose water to the pan and mix well. You can adjust the sugar per your taste

STEP 5: TRANSFER THE ROSE FIRNI INTO INDIVIDUAL SERVING BOWLS

Transfer the phirni into individual serving small earthen bowls. You can use glass or ceramic bowls too. You can also serve the phini in one large serving bowl instead of serving it in individual servings.

STEP 6: GARNISH

Garnish with silver bark and dried rose petals.

Cover the bowls with plastic wrap so that the phirni doesn’t absorb the smell from the fridge and refrigerate it overnight before serving.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Can I change the flavors of firni?

Phirni can be flavored using various ingredients-

• Make cardamom Phirni by adding cardamom powder  to the simmering milk
• Make paneer or chenna firni by adding homemade chenna to the milk.
• Make seasonal fruits phirni by adding pureed seasonal fruits  like Apple, lychee, mangoes etc.
• Make badam phirni by adding almond paste to this north Indian dessert
• Add some Khoya (reduced milk solids)  and saffron to make Shahi Kesar Khoya Phirni.
• Make Thandai Phirni by adding  Thandai Powder

I do not have basmati rice?

Fragrant basmati rice adds that traditional shahi aroma and flavor to the phirni. However, if you don’t have basmati rice, you can use any short grained white rice.

Can I replace sugar with jaggery or honey?

Yes you could do that. Once your phirni is cooked, let it cool down a bit before adding powdered jaggery.

I’m lactose intolerant. Can I make a Vegan Phirni?

Yes, you can. Replace whole milk with any vegan milk like oat milk or almond milk. However, to make a vegan Gulab phirni recipe, cook the ground rice in water first just like you would cook any other rice. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Then add the nut milk in parts, keeping on stirring until you get the thick creamy consistency.

Can I use dry ground rice instead of Rice paste?

Yes, You can!

How to Serve Rose Phirni with Pista Toffee

Phirni is always served chilled so plan it a few hours before you want to serve it.

Phirni is traditionally served in clay (earthen) bowls called shakore which absorbed the extra moisture making it creamier and richer. It also gives a nice earthy aroma to it. But you can serve this creamy pudding in your regular serving bowls.

A few other Festive Desserts with Rose Water

Rose Cardamom Shrikhand Recipe,

Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies,

Easy Pista (Pistachio) Kulfi Recipe,

Chenna Kheeri | Chenna Payash | Kheera Recipe

Have you made this rose phirni? If yes, tag me at @myyellowapron for a chance to be featured!

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