Phirni is India's version of rice pudding. Made from ground rice and served in traditional earthen bowls called shikoras, it is a bowl of nostalgia for any Indian. I pondered hard on how to spin this lovely dessert without losing its integrity. And for that I turned to my favourite liqueur - Amarula.
Being in New Zealand, I couldn't really find traditional shikoras, but I thought these tart shells are the perfect vessels. It provides a nice crunchy texture and cuts the richness of the dessert. And I am a big fan of edible bowls.
Recipe:
- Rinse 1/4 cup basmatic rice and drain. Grind the rice till the consistency resembles coarse semolina
- In a saucepan, bring 1ltr of milk to boil
- Once the milk boils, add ground rice and 1 cup of sugar and stir
- Stir till the milk reduces to about 50% and turn off the heat
- Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature, add a generous amount of Amarula and stir
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hrs to let it set
- Serve on store bought tart shells with a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa
You can also flavour the milk with cardamom. In case you cannot find tart shells I'd recommend serving these on Biscotti
