TaleTwo Delightful Desserts – Mango & Nutty Rose Firni Recipe
“First there was a Fresh Corn Dessert a few days back and now there are two more desserts for the weekend..Hmm…do I smell some conspiracy” inquired the puzzled hubby. “Is all the sweet temptations for the digital SLR?” he smiled and replied to his own query after he noticed a sparkle in my eyes! The decision to buy this high-end digital camera has been put on hold for almost a year by the dear hubby. As he wanted to get completely convinced that I am really serious about my blog and will put the camera to good use before succumbing to my demands. And I saw my wish getting wings when he reached for his lap top to Google for digital cameras
Oh..and coming back to the recipes, Firni is a delightful healthy dessert and could be cooked in without much efforts. An earthen pot is a perfect vessel to set this dessert, as the porous surface of the pot will absorb water leaving a thick & creamy Firni behind. You could replace the mango with any other fruit of your choice. Apple, banana, strawberries, raspberries and Kiwi goes well with this dessert.
Mango Firni
Ingredients to go in...
Ingredients;
(serve 3)
- 2 cups of skim milk
- 1 tbsp. Basmati rice
- 1/4 cup fresh cream (optional)
- 1/2 cup mango pulp
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- Ground Basmati rice
Method; Boil 2 cups of milk and let it cool. Peel the mango and dice it in small cubes. Blend the mango into a puree leaving a few cubes for garnishing.
For making rice paste; Wash and soak the Basmati rice in 1/4 cup of milk for about 20 minutes. Grind the rice with the milk in a blender till it looks grainy and coarse. Normally a Firni calls for a fine rice paste to give it a creamy ice cream texture. But I keep my rice coarse as I like the grainy Firni.
Add this coarse rice and milk paste to the boiled milk and heat it again. Stir the mixture constantly to avoid it sticking to the bottom. Boil it for about 5-8 minutes till the mixture becomes thick. Take off from the flame and let it cool completely.
Firni served in mud pot
Add the pureed mango, sugar and cardamom powder in the milk mixture and mix thoroughly. At this point you can add the cream to make the Firni more creamy.
Pour the Firni in an earthen pot if you have one or just set it in any plastic container. Arrange the mango cubes over the Firni and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Do not freeze the Firni.
Chilled mango firni
Serve the chilled Mango Firni in individual serving bowl.
Creamy mango Firni, can you see the grainy texture...
Mango desserts flavored with Cardamom is a heavenly match.
Nutty Rose Firni
Dried Rose petals
Ingredients;
(serve 3)
2 cups of milk
1 tbsp. raw rice
1/4 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup dried rose petals
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mixed nuts (cashew/almonds/raisins)
Method; Boil 2 cups of milk and let it cool.
Rose petals; For drying the rose petals you can either microwave them for a quick result or dry the whole rose in shade. Microwave the whole rose for 10 minutes at 90 power. For drying in a shade, spread the fresh roses on a paper and cover them with another paper or a thin muslin cloth. Keep in shade and let the roses dry for 5-6 days.
For making rice paste; Wash and soak the Basmati rice in 1/4 cup of milk for about 20 minutes. Grind the rice and crushed dry rose petals with the milk in a blender till it looks grainy and coarse. Normally a Firni calls for a fine rice paste to give it a creamy ice cream texture. But I keep my rice coarse as I like the grainy Firni.
Add this coarse rice and milk paste to the boiled milk and heat it again. Stir the mixture constantly to avoid it sticking to the bottom. Boil it for about 5-8 minutes till the mixture becomes thick. Take off from the flame and let it cool completely.
Creamy dessert!
You can use any rose concentrate or syrup (Rooh Afza) to make Rose Firni. Add sugar and cream to make the Firni more creamy.
Chilled Rose Firni
Pour the Rose Firni in an earthen pot if you have one or just set it in any plastic container. Sprinkle crushed nuts and raisins, arrange few rose petals over the Firni and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Do not freeze the Firni.
Notes;
I have used skimmed milk, but you can make the Firni with whole milk for a much creamy and exotic dessert.
I did not use any nuts to my Mango Firni as I wanted to get the taste of mangoes in every bite rather than the nuts.
Any variety of rice works well for the firni.
Add a tsp. of cornflour mixed in a little milk if you feel the Firni is not thick enough.
Use any Rose syrup or concentrate if you cannot get dried rose petals for the recipe.