Phirni (Creamy Rice Flour Pudding)

Ground rice is cooked in milk and sugar, and flavoured with green cardamom powder and rose water.

Ingredients:
6 cups full cream milk
6 tbsp milk powder
3 tbsp Indian Basmati Rice
1 cup Sugar (or to taste)
½ tsp Cardamom powder
2 tbsp Almonds blanched and sliced
2 tbsp Pistachios sliced
A few strands of saffron soaked in a little milk.
1 tbsp rose water

Method:

• 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.
• Pour the milk in a vessel and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
• Take one cup 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.
• Sprinkle milk powder little at a time over the boiling milk.Cook on low heat till the milk has thickened.
• Add sugar and stir well. Let the milk simmer on low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Add the saffron and sprinkle cardamom powder on top.
• Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios.
• Serve chilled.

Do You Know:

Rose water comes from distillate of rose petals. It has many uses and a wonderful smell.
Rose water is used as an important ingredient in many body creams due to its pleasant fragrance. Rose water is also a very useful toner. This is probably why Romans in the ancient days preferred to bathe in rose water. It is known that rose water helps to stimulate the nervous system.
Rose water also has certain antiseptic and anti bacterial properties. This is why it is useful to cure certain skin problems as well. Rose water can also be used in bath waters and as a skin softener.