Recipe: Fig Phirni

Chef Shumaila Chauhan's Fig Phirniis high on taste and low on cost.

The Indian sweet pudding is rich with dried figs, but you can use dried apricots as well.

Chef Shumaila cooks, bakes, eats, styles food, photographs food and writes about food.

Fig Phirni

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 12-13 dried figs, soaked + 3 dried figs extra, for garnish
• ¼ cup basmati rice
• ½ cup whole walnuts + shavings of a few walnuts, for garnish
• 1 l full-cream milk
• 12-15 kesar or saffron strands
• 6-7 green elaichi or cardamom
• Pinch jaiphal or nutmeg powder
• 4-5 tbsp condensed milk, optional
• Varak or silver foil, for garnish

Method

• Soak 12-13 dried figs in warm water for 1 hour.
  Drain the water and grind the figs to a smooth paste.
  You can use 2-3 tbsp of the soaked water, if required, to make a smooth paste.
• Rinse the rice a couple of times in water.
  Drain and let dry completely on a sheet.
  Once dry, transfer into a mixer without water and grind to a coarse consistency without water.
  You do not want powder but a coarse semolina texture.
  Take out of the blender and then pulse the walnuts to a walnut meal consistency.
• In a thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk.
  Add 1 tbsp of the warmed milk in a bowl with the saffron strands.
  When milk starts boiling, add the ground rice, walnut meal.
  Stir well.
  Add the condensed milk and mix.
  Cook on low heat, stirring often.
  When the rice granules are almost cooked, add the cardamom powder, saffron milk, nutmeg and the fig paste.
  Mix well.
  Let simmer for a bit.
  Total cooking time is around 25 minutes after the addition of rice.
  Transfer to earthen clay pots and let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  Garnish with the varak, walnut shavings, chopped figs and dried rose petals.

Editor's Note: This pudding can also be made with almond milk or a mix of almond milk and thick coconut milk but the coconut milk should be added in the end and not over-boiled.

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