Kesar Phirni

What could have been better than a chilled Kesar Phirni!! A Rice Pudding Dessert, made with of course Rice, Milk, Elaichi (Cardamom), Kesar (Saffron) and some Rose Petals and Pista for added flavor.

Ingredients – 1 small bowl rice, 1.5 lt. full cream milk, freshly ground elaichi (cardamom) powder, kesar, sugar roughly half of rice), Rose petals or Rose water, 8-12 Pistas or Almonds.

Soak 1 cup rice for atleast 1 hour, 2 hours will be great. Drain the remaining water and grind the rice in the blender to make a coarse paste. You may add very little water so that the rice doesn’t form lumps in the blender but make sure the paste is dry and not liquidy. 

In a deep pan, add this rice paste along with sugar (I used very less sugar, almost 1/4th of the rice) and 1.5 lts. of milk and stir until it comes to a boil. DO NOT leave it unattended, it might burn from the bottom as we have already added sugar to it. After it’s first boil, simmer the flame and keep stirring occasionally.

Add 2-3 pinches of freshly ground Elaichi powder and 6-7 strands of kesar at this moment. Let it be on slow flame and stir occasionally until the milk reduces to half and the mixture has become fairly thick. 

Add one table spoon of Rose water (fresh rose petals, washed, would be better) and stir again. DO NOT add too much of it, remember it is only for a mild flavor.

Turn off the flame when you feel it has reached the desired consistency. Don’t wait for the phirni to cool. Pour it in pot bowls (mitti ke kulhad). Garnish it with a pinch of Elaichi powder, few kesar strands and Chopped Pistas (I used Almonds as I didn’t have Pista at that very moment.

You may feel the color isn’t very yellow but the fact is that I don’t add any food coloring to the dishes. I try to keep it away from preservatives as much as I can.

Refrigerate and let it cool for atleast 3-4 hours. Enjoy it with your family.

Do share with me the pictures, when you try this!