STRAWBERRY PHIRNI

Phirni is an Indian dessert which is rich and creamy, prepared with rice paste, full cream milk, dried nuts like almonds or pistachio and cardamom powder. This is usually served cold in clay or earthen pots. We can try different variations of Phirni by adding fruit purées or flavour syrups like rose.Here I have tried strawberries as they are abundantly available during summer.Strawberry Phirni is creamy in texture and easy to make.

Strawberry Phirni

Ingredients:

1. Strawberries (ripe & red) 12 -15 medium ones 
2. Full cream milk 2 cups 
3. Basmati rice 4 tsps (soak in water for 15-20 minutes)
4. Sugar 1/2 or 3/4 cup (depending on your taste & the sweetness of the strawberries)
5. Pistachios (sliced) - a handful 
6. Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp 

Method of preparation: 

• Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain this and grind to a fine paste with half cup of milk. 
• Wash, slice and blend the strawberries to a purée.
• In a thick bottomed pan, boil the rest of the one and half cup of milk. In medium flame, simmer the milk until it is reduced to 3/4 of the original quality. To this, slowly add the ground rice, stir well. Cook in low flame till the mix blends in fully and starts to thicken. 
• Keep on stirring on low flame for upto 15 minutes, add the sugar and cardamom powder. Keep the flame still on low, till the sugar dissolves and mixture becomes creamy with no lumps. 
• Now add the strawberry purée, mix till well combined and switch off the flame. 
• Remove the mixture to a bowl, leave it to cool and then chill. When serving, scoop it into bowls and garnish with pistachio pieces. Drizzle little purée on top and give it a swirl. 

NOTE: Make sure you get the right texture of the creamy dessert, if it is too thick add little full cream milk. If it is runny, mix a spoonful of rice flour, mix in water and add to the Phirni while cooking.