Mum’s Gulab Phirni (Rose flavoured rice pudding)
on Mar 02, 2015, Updated Oct 21, 2024
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Gulab phirni is a rice pudding that’s flavoured with rose petals. It’s really a labour of love and has the perfect texture from broken rice. Each bite is creamy, with a crinkle from the rice — in my opinion, it’s the perfect Indian dessert.
Today I am going to share one of my favorite recipes from my mum’s kitchen. It was a difficult choice because my mum is a fantastic cook and we usually go gaga over everything she makes haha.
But this Gulab Phirni is a crowd-pleaser! It’s really easy to make, doesn’t require a lot of effort, and the hint of rose petals keeps you wanting more with every bite. This is a great festive dessert, but it works even as a comforting post dinner dessert!
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Gulab Phirni Ingredients Overview
This gulab phirni calls for just 6 really simple, pantry staple ingredients. Rice and milk are two main ingredients. We start with soaking the rice and then blending it to form a coarse paste. We then start boiling full fat milk along with the rice and some kesar strands until it thickens.
Once the rice is completely cooked, add sugar, and whisk until it’s completely dissolved. Then we allow the mixture to cool completely, once cool, blitz in the mixture for exactly 5 seconds to achieve a creamy texture.
Next we mix in the dried rose petals, transfer to serving bowls, top with some more dried rose petals and chopped pistachios, almonds and your creamy and cosy gulab phirni is ready to be served!
Richa’s Top Tips
- I highly recommend using full fat milk for this recipe as that will give you the thick, creamy results that this gulab phirni calls for.
- Make sure to add the sugar after the rice is completely cooked to prevent lumps or an uneven texture.
- I haven’t added any food color to this rose phirni, but if you want your phirni to be rose-colored, feel free to add a tiny amount of red food coloring to the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Even though kheer and phirni are made from similar ingredients, the main difference lies in their texture. Phirni is made with ground rice grains while kheer uses whole rice grains.
Phirni is from the state of Punjab in India. However, it is also believed that this mithai has it’s origins in Persia.
Any variety of rice you have at home will work perfectly for this recipe.
This gulab phirni is a warm, decadent and fragrant Indian sweet that truly feels like a hug. I usually make this during the festive season for my Diwali parties, but it’s also something the family and I love having on winter nights to wind down and chill.
Don’t forget to share a comment below if you make it, and send me your recreations over on my IG @my_foodstory!
Gulab Phirni Recipe / Rose flavored Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Rice, + 1 tbsps
- 1 litre Milk, Full – fat (Skim milk just doesn’t cut it)
- Saffron, or Kesar
- ¼ Cup Sugar, + 1 tbsps
- 2 tbsps Rose Petals, Dried
- Pistachios, Chopped and Almonds for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak the rice in water for half an hour. Drain water and pulse in a grinder till you get a grainy consistency. The grains should feel gritty between your fingers and should be slightly bigger than semolina.
- Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, and add the rice and saffron while whisking continuously. This will help avoid lumps.
- Bring this to a boil while whisking, and then lower the flame to a simmer. Keep stirring the mixture every couple of minutes.
- After about 20 minutes the mixture will start to thicken. Simmer for another 20 -25 minutes till it thickens considerably and the rice is completely cooked.
- Add sugar and mix till it dissolves. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Once its cooled completely, transfer to a mixer-grinder and pulse for exactly 5 seconds. This helps give the phirni a creaminess and remove any lumps.
- Mix in the rose petals, and transfer into serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, almonds and rose petals. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. Serve cold.
You are always late to the party, aren’t you? 😛 The contest got over on Sunday and I even announced the winner 🙂 So sorry, but to make up for it, I’ll give you a big jar of Meet Mirsang for you to take back the next time you are in town. See you soon, hopefully!
So, since I can participate being an NRI (time for putting scope), I choose to keep it simple and basic in the spirit of innovation in the routine staple food.
I nominate my mom’s Val Val for your contest. Plain and simple yet delicious. She’s got quite a few awesome dishes in her arsenal but I choose the most common most loved amongst them.
Now, I better get that hamper or you’re buying me one anyway. 😛
I believe I am also gonna get a jar of meet mirsang from you. So, win win anyway!! 😛
Let me know if you want the recipe regardless of the outcome.
Btw, I love the food centred blog and MESOHUNGRY!!!
How I wish I could be a chef. Next time, I would like to atleast be given the opportunity to chop veggies for me so hungry. 😀
Anyway… Later…
Sudish
Of course you can! Send in your entry and if you win, I’ll send the hamper to your bhabhi or your mom. So you participate on behalf of them!
What biscuit. I cannot participate. :/
Thank you 🙂 That works!
That Phirni looks yum 🙂
PS: entering the giveaway for my Mom 🙂