Eid and Ramadan pudding · Clay pots
Firni Recipe (Pakistani Ground Rice Pudding)
Soak and grind the rice. Whisk constantly. Set in clay.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenFirni is the silky ground rice pudding set in little clay pots for Eid and iftar. It goes lumpy when the rice is added to hot milk, or grainy when the rice is ground coarse. The fix is soaking and grinding the rice to a fine paste, mixing it with cold milk first, and whisking constantly as it thickens.
The 3 laws of firni
Why this recipe works
Coarse powder
Silky texture.
Into hot milk
No lumps.
Glass bowls
Clay absorbs moisture and adds an earthy note.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Firni
The NineFoods firni gauge
Is it thick enough?
Coat a spoon.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Grind
- Soak rice, drain and grind to a fine paste with a little milk.
Cook
- Mix paste into cold milk, then heat, whisking constantly.
- Add sugar and cardamom. Use the gauge above.
Set
- Add kewra, pour into clay pots, top and chill.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Rice into hot milk.
Fix next time
Mix into cold milk first.
Why
Coarse rice.
Fix next time
Grind to a fine paste.
Why
Not whisked.
Fix next time
Whisk constantly on low.
Why
Undercooked.
Fix next time
Cook until it coats a spoon.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Basmati | Thickener | Rice flour |
| Kewra | Aroma | Rosewater |
| Clay pots | Setting | Small bowls |
| Full fat milk | Richness | Add condensed milk |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Chilled after iftar or Eid meals.
Store
Fridge 3 days.
Reheat
Serve cold.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is it thick enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Firni FAQ
What is firni?
A Pakistani ground rice pudding with milk and cardamom.
How is firni different from kheer?
Firni uses ground rice and is smoother; kheer uses whole grains.
Why is my firni lumpy?
The rice went into hot milk.
Why use clay pots?
They absorb moisture and add an earthy aroma.