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Firni
Firni: Bangladeshi ground-rice milk pudding for Eid
Firni is the dessert that turns up in little clay bowls on Eid tables across Bangladesh, especially after the evening meal on Eid-ul-Fitr. It is smoother and thicker than payesh: instead of whole rice grains, coarsely ground rice is simmered in milk until it sets into a silky pudding, scented with cardamom and rose water and scattered with pistachios and almonds. It is served chilled, so it's made a day ahead. Chef's tip: grind the soaked rice to a coarse semolina-like grit, not a fine powder; that slight texture is what makes firni feel rich.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅛ oz basmati or other aromatic rice and grind it in a spice grinder with 2 tablespoons of the 3 ½ tbsp whole milk to a coarse, gritty paste.
2 minStep 2: Bring the rest of the 4 cups whole milk to a boil in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring so it doesn't catch, then turn the heat down to low.
8 minStep 3: Whisk the rice paste into the milk. Keep stirring for 15–20 minutes over a low heat, scraping the bottom, until it thickens to the consistency of thick custard and coats the back of a spoon. A common mistake is leaving it unstirred: the rice sinks and scorches, and the pudding tastes burnt.
18 minStep 4: Stir in 3 ⅛ oz sugar, 5 green cardamom pods and 1 pinch saffron threads and cook for 3–4 minutes more, until glossy.
4 minStep 5: Take off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp rose water. Pour into small bowls, scatter with 2 tbsp pistachios and 2 tbsp almonds, and chill for at least 3 hours, until set.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does firni take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of basmati or other aromatic rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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