Firnee

Name: Firnee
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Afghan
Ingredients: 4 cups whole milk; 4 tablespoons rice flour (or finely ground rice); 4–5 tablespoons sugar, or to taste; 1 teaspoon rose water; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios, for garnish; Dried rose petals, for garnish (optional); Small pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm milk (optional)

فرنی/fir-NEE/

About this dish

Firnee is a delicate Afghan milk pudding made from whole milk and ground rice or rice flour, lightly sweetened and fragrant with cardamom, often garnished with pistachios or rose water.

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Ingredients

🥛4 cups whole milk

🌾4 tablespoons rice flour (or finely ground rice)

🍬4–5 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

🫙1 teaspoon rose water

🌿½ teaspoon ground cardamom

🥜2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios, for garnish

🌸Dried rose petals, for garnish (optional)

🫙Small pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm milk (optional)

Method

Serves 2

Whisk the rice flour into approximately half a cup of the cold milk until fully dissolved and no lumps remain, then set aside.

Pour the remaining milk into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to steam and is nearly at a simmer.

Add the sugar to the warm milk and stir until fully dissolved.

Slowly pour the rice flour mixture into the warm milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring continuously as the mixture thickens, which should take around 8–12 minutes. The pudding is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and stir in the ground cardamom and rose water. Add the dissolved saffron at this stage if using.

Pour the pudding into individual shallow serving bowls or a large serving dish, smoothing the surface gently.

Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate until fully set and chilled. Garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals before serving.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Firnee is a well-known and widely enjoyed dessert across Afghanistan, commonly served at celebrations, gatherings, and during festive occasions such as Eid. It belongs to a broader family of milk-based puddings found across South and Central Asian cuisines, and is valued in Afghan households for its simple, soothing quality and aromatic flavour.

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