Firni

Ingredients

• 50 g basmati rice, washed and soaked in water for 1 hour
• 1 l full-fat milk, divided (100 ml cold, the rest for boiling)
• 80 g sugar, or to taste
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp kewra water, or 1 tsp rose water
• 2 tbsp unsalted pistachios, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp almonds, blanched and thinly sliced
• 1 pinch saffron strands, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear, then cover with plenty of water and soak for 1 hour.
2. Drain the rice well and pat it dry with a clean towel. Grind it in a spice grinder in short bursts to a coarse, sandy texture, not a fine flour.
3. Whisk the ground rice with 100 ml of the cold milk in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps.
4. Pour the remaining 900 ml milk into a heavy saucepan, add the cardamom and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often so it does not catch. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Lower the heat. Stir the rice mixture again, then pour it into the milk in a thin stream while stirring constantly. Cook on low for 12–15 minutes, stirring all the time, until the milk thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Add the sugar and saffron milk, if using, and cook for 3 more minutes until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the kewra water and half the pistachios and almonds, then remove from the heat.
7. Pour into serving bowls and let cool for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to stop a skin forming. Cover loosely and chill for at least 4 hours, until softly set.
8. Top with the remaining nuts just before serving.

Tips

• Grind the rice coarse. A fine powder can turn the firni pasty, while whole grains turn it into kheer.
• Keep stirring once the rice goes in and use a heavy pan to avoid lumps and scorching.
• Firni thickens a lot as it chills. If it seems slightly loose in the pan, it is probably right; it should coat a spoon, not hold a shape.
• Clay bowls (kora) absorb a little moisture and give a traditional texture; rinse and soak them in water first.