Traditional Phirni with a fruity twist

The love for Phirni travels from Punjab to Hyderabad. Be it the homemade grandmother's recipe in a Punjabi household or the dessert during Ramzaan, it tastes equally refreshing if served at the right temperature with the right flavors. 'Phirni' is a 'Kheer' like dessert but made with the rice paste and Kewra dominating all other flavours. Here is my twist of the traditional phirni, made with fruits and making it light on your tummy after a heavy Indian meal.

Ingredients-

3 1/2 cups milk (approx. 700 ml)

1/3 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup sugar or Sugarfree sweetner

15 almonds- blanched and ground to paste using little cold water

4 almonds- shredded

2-3 chhoti elaichi (green cardamom)- powdered

1 drop kewra essence or 1 tsp ruh kewra

A pinch of saffron soaked in a tbsp of water or a little yellow colour

Fruits- Mango and Apple

Method

1. Soak rice for about 2 hours and grind to a fine paste using cold water

2. Dissolve the rice paste in 1/2 cup of milk and mix it with the rest of the milk

3. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes till it becomes thick and creamy. Remember to keep stirring the milk, otherwise it might get burnt. To prevent lumps being formed, you can even use a whisk to stir it 

4. Add sugar, cardamom and saffron water, bring to a boil again and simmer it for 1 minute

5. Remove from the flame and mix the almond paste with the phirni

6. Let it cool. Once, it comes at room temperature, mix the shredded almonds and kewra essence. Do not add the essence to a hot phirni, it reduces the flavour of it

7. To assemble the phirni, use a glass jar. The fruits can be sliced or chopped. Apart from Mangoes and Apples, you can use fruits like melon, watermelon, green and black grapes, strawberry or chikoo. Put a layer of fruits and then the phirni. You can make as many layers as the depth of your jar allows 

Traditionally, full cream milk gives the best taste to the desserts but I can assure you, skimmed milk does not taste bad either.

Addition of fruits, give the natural sweetness to the dessert, so feel free to reduce the amount of sugar and increase the quantity of fruits.  

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