Thandai Phirni | Holi special dessert Thandai Phirni

On the occasion of Holi, lets give a twist to the regular phirni and make thandai phirni by adding thandai masala to it. Regularly, phirni is made with ground rice and milk. The addition of thandai masala to the rice phirni elevates the dish to  a different level altogether. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

1 litre Milk
4 tbsp Basmati rice
½ cup sugar
a big pinch of saffron (kesar)
1 tbsp rose syrup
1 tbsp Chopped nuts (almonds and pistachios)  for garnishing.

For thandai masala/ paste

2 tbsp almonds (badam)
1 tbsp cashew nuts (kaju)
2 tbsps pistachios (pista)
1 tbsp melon seeds (magaz)
1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)
10 to 12 black pepper (kali mirch)
½ tsp cardamom powder (elaichi)

Method

• Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Soak saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk and keep it aside.
• To make the thandai paste, blend almonds, cashews, pistachios, melon seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, black pepper and cardamom powder to a fine paste by adding 1 tbsp water to it.  Keep this aside.
• Wash and grind the soaked rice to a coarse paste and set it aside.
• Heat a heavy bottomed pan. 
• Add milk and cook on slow flame. Keep stirring occasionally. Milk will start getting thicker.
• Add the rice paste and cook on a slow flame till the rice is cooked. 
• Further, add the thandai paste and mix well. 
• Keep stirring continuously so that thandai paste blends well with the milk.  
• Let it cook on a slow flame.  
• Add the sugar and mix. 
• Keep stirring the mixture. Milk will become creamy in texture.
• Add the saffron mixture and mix well.  
• Remove from fire and let it cool.
• Add the rose syrup and mix well.
• Thandai phirni is ready.
• Tranfer the phirni, preferably to earthen clay pot and refrigerate.
• Serve chilled phirni garnished with chopped nuts

Note:

I have used Mapro rose syrup in the recipe. Alternatively you can add rose water. If you do not have rose syrup or rose water, you can skip adding it. Thandai phirni will still taste delicious.

WATCH RECIPE VIDEO

Also have a look at other Holi recipes Kesar Dryfruits Shrikhand, Puranpoli.