Apple Phirni

A fragrant twist on traditional phirni, where fresh apple adds gentle sweetness to a creamy ground-rice pudding infused with cardamom, saffron and rose water. Served beautifully chilled, it is a delicate dessert with comforting Indian flavours.

Highlights

• Made with freshly ground rice
• Fresh apple adds natural sweetness
• No refined sugar
• Fragrant with cardamom, saffron and rose water
• Best served chilled

Prep time: 3 hours, including drying
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Nutrition and Macros

Total recipe

• Calories: 484 kcal
• Protein: 16 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Carbohydrates: 60 g

Per serving

• Calories: 121 kcal
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 15 g

Ingredients

• 400 g milk
• 30 g raw rice
• 1 medium apple
• 5 g pistachios, roughly crushed
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• Sweetener, to taste
• 1 tsp rose water
• A pinch of saffron

Method

1. Rinse the rice once, then spread it out and leave it to dry completely for 2–3 hours.
2. Once dry, grind the rice into a fine powder and set it aside.
3. Peel, core and grate the apple. Place it in a pan with a little sweetener and cook until the released moisture has completely evaporated. Set aside.
4. Reserve 50 g of the milk in a small bowl. Pour the remaining milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the bay leaf and crushed cardamom.
5. Bring the milk to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes.
6. Mix the ground rice thoroughly with the reserved milk, ensuring there are no lumps.
7. Gradually pour the rice mixture into the simmering milk, stirring continuously. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, until the phirni begins to thicken.
8. Add the cooked apple and sweetener to taste. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring gently.
9. Remove the bay leaf, take the pan off the heat and stir in the rose water.
10. Divide the phirni among four individual serving bowls. Garnish with crushed pistachios and saffron strands.
11. Cover the bowls and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve well chilled.

Ipshita’s Note

Allowing the rinsed rice to dry completely before grinding helps produce a fine powder and a smoother phirni. Once the rice mixture is added, cook it gently and stir continuously to prevent it from catching at the bottom. The apple should be cooked separately until its excess moisture evaporates so it does not make the phirni watery.

Tips

• Cool the phirni slightly before adding the rose water to preserve its aroma.
• Cover each bowl while chilling to prevent a skin from forming.
• The phirni will thicken further as it cools.
• Serve thoroughly chilled for the best flavour and texture.