Strawberry Phirni (strawberry Rice Pudding)

A delicately sweet, velvety rice pudding infused with cardamom and folded with fresh strawberry purée. Served chilled, this is a restaurant-quality dessert with perfect texture and flavor balance.

🧾 INGREDIENTS (Serves 4–6)

For the Phirni Base

¼ cup basmati rice (soaked 30 minutes)
4 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
4–5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
8–10 saffron strands (optional, adds subtle golden richness)
Pinch of salt

For the Strawberry Layer

1¼ cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1–2 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional: 1 teaspoon rosewater or ½ teaspoon vanilla

For Garnish

Finely chopped pistachios or almonds
Fresh strawberry slices
Edible rose petals or mint leaves

👩‍🍳 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep the Rice

Rinse the soaked rice and drain.
Grind to a coarse paste using 2–3 tablespoons of water or milk.
- Phirni requires a coarse texture — not smooth like kheer.

2. Cook the Phirni

Bring milk to a gentle boil in a heavy pot.
Reduce heat and add crushed cardamom and saffron.
Stir in the rice paste slowly, ensuring no lumps.
Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 20–25 minutes until thick and creamy.
Add sugar and a pinch of salt.
Continue simmering 3–4 minutes until fully dissolved and the pudding is silky.

The phirni should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. Make the Strawberry Purée

Blend strawberries with sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
Taste and adjust sweetness.
Optionally add rosewater for a soft floral finish.

4. Cool the Phirni BEFORE Adding Strawberries

Very important:
Allow the cooked phirni to cool until warm (not hot) — about 25–30 minutes.
Adding strawberry purée to hot phirni can curdle the milk.

5. Fold in the Strawberry Purée

Once the phirni has cooled to warm room temperature, fold in the strawberry purée.
Mix until a uniform, natural pink color forms.
Adjust thickness by adding a splash of cold milk if needed.

6. Chill

Pour into small bowls, glasses, or traditional mitti (clay) cups.
Refrigerate at least 2–3 hours — overnight gives the best flavor.

🍓 TO SERVE

Garnish with:

Chopped pistachios
Fresh strawberry slices
Mint or rose petals
A drizzle of strawberry syrup

Serve cold for the most luxurious texture.

🌟 CHEF TIPS FOR PERFECT STRAWBERRY PHIRNI

Grind rice coarse, not fine — this is authentic phirni texture.
Keep heat low to prevent sticking or scorching.
Chill well; strawberry desserts taste brighter cold.
If the color is pale, add 1–2 teaspoons more puree before serving.
For a glossy finish, fold in 1 tablespoon strawberry jam at the end.

💡 VARIATIONS (PREMIUM)

1. Strawberry Rose Phirni

Add 1 teaspoon rosewater and garnish with roses.

2. Strawberry Coconut Phirni

Replace 1 cup milk with coconut milk.

3. Strawberry Almond Phirni

Stir in 2 tablespoons almond flour for richness.

4. Strawberry Rabri-Style Phirni

Cook 10 extra minutes until ultra thick, like a mousse.

5. Strawberry Phirni Parfaits

Layer with crushed pistachio brittle or vanilla sponge cake.

⏲ STORAGE

Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.
Do not freeze (texture will separate).
Stir before serving if pudding thickens too much.

OTHER RECIPES

Ingredients:

Strawberries- 200g
Sona Masoori Rice- 1 cup
Semolina- 1/4 cup
Condensed milk- 100 ml
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Milk- 1 liter
Almonds- 5
Sugar- 3 tbsp
Pink food color- a drop

Directions:

Soak the rice for 2 hours and grind it to a paste. ]

Wash and hull the strawberries.

Chop the strawberries finely.

Cook the chopped strawberries with 3 tbsp sugar in a saucepan on medium flame.

Keep stirring and very soon the strawberries will break down into a puree.

Heat milk in a wide mouthed vessel and add the ground rice paste and semolina.

Keep stirring because otherwise they will tend to become lumpy.

Add the strawberry puree and condensed milk and cook the phirni over medium flame.

Keep stirring so that they phirni does not turn lumpy.

Cook for 10 minutes before adding the cardamom powder and food color.

Cook further for 5 more minutes from here.

Switch of the stove and garnish the phirni with chopped almonds before serving.

Serve chilled. Cool.

Enjoy the Strawberry Phirni (strawberry Rice Pudding) recipes !!!

Strawberry Phirni (strawberry Rice Pudding) Video :

STRAWBERRY DESSERT RECIPES

Strawberry Phirni (strawberry Rice Pudding)