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Handiہانڈیاردو
Desserts & mithai

Firni Recipe

فرنی بنانے کا طریقہ

Silky firni set in clay bowls: ground rice cooked in milk with cardamom and kewra until it holds a spoon, then chilled firm and topped with pistachios.
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Illustration of Firni

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Marinate / soak

30 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Mild

Firni is kheer's quicker, smoother cousin: the rice is soaked and ground first, so it thickens the milk in about 20 minutes instead of an hour. It is traditionally set in small unglazed clay bowls (koonday), which draw out a little moisture and give it a firm, cool top. The key is constant stirring once the rice goes in, so it cooks smooth with no lumps.

Ingredients

6 servings

For 6 servings

Measures

To garnish

Method

  1. Soak the washed rice in water, then drain well.

    ⏱ 30 min

  2. Grind the rice with half a cup of the milk to a fine, slightly gritty paste, like fine semolina.

  3. Bring the rest of the milk to the boil in a heavy pan, then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes so it reduces slightly.

    ⏱ 5 min

  4. Pour in the rice paste in a thin stream while stirring all the time. Keep stirring on low-medium heat until the milk thickens and the rice no longer tastes raw.

    ⏱ 12 min

  5. Add the sugar, ground cardamom and saffron milk if using, and cook, stirring, until it is like thick custard and coats the spoon heavily.

    ⏱ 5 min

  6. Turn off the heat and stir in the kewra. Pour into soaked clay bowls or small dishes while hot.

  7. Scatter the nuts on top, cool to room temperature, then chill until set.

    ⏱ 120 min

Tips for the best result

  • Soak the clay koonday in water for 30 minutes and drain before filling, or they crack and soak up too much firni.
  • If you are short of time, use 5 tbsp ready rice flour mixed into cold milk instead of soaking and grinding rice.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the rice paste and walking away. It sinks and forms lumps within a minute; stir constantly until it thickens.
  • Grinding the rice to a powder-fine paste. Firni should have a faint grain to it; very fine rice makes it gluey.

How to serve

Serve cold, straight from the clay bowls, after Eid lunch, biryani or a dawat.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 2 to 3 days covered in the fridge. Do not freeze; it turns grainy.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
250kcal
Protein
8g
Fat
9g
Carbs
36g
Fibre
0.6g
Sodium
90mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 49

Whole dish ≈ Rs 290 · 98% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Firni: questions people ask

Why is my firni lumpy?

The rice paste was added too fast or not stirred. Pour it in slowly while stirring, and if lumps form, whisk hard or blend briefly before adding the sugar.

Can I make firni without clay bowls?

Yes. Glass or ceramic bowls work fine; the firni just sets a little softer and misses the earthy smell of clay.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: فرنی بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/firni · Handi, DanixSoft