Chef Megha Kohli's 'Phirni'© Megha Kohli

Chef Megha Kohli’s Recipe For The Ultimate Indian Dessert

Aishwarya Dravid
Head Digital

We’ve all grown up eating Indian dessertsRasgulla, Rasmalai, Gulab Jamun, the list goes on and on. And while most of these desserts can be found at your local sweet shop (they’re not that far off from the original version), Old Delhi’s infamous Phirni is still hard to find at delivery-app distance. So, on the event of Independence Day, we thought we’d help you out with an authentic Indian Phirnirecipe that you could whip up at home sans the two-hour trip and the effort.

MORE: Chef Megha Kohli, Of Cafe Mez, Shares Her Go-To Comfort Food Recipes

Enter Chef Megha Kohli, the executive chef at Café Mez and The Wine Company in Gurugram, who is an Old Delhi loyalist. Her social media is filled with multiple trips to the capital’s cultural haunt either by herself or with her friends. And so, who better to dish out an authentic Phirni recipe? “This is perhaps my most favorite dessert ever. I love going to Old Delhi, where I eat at least four to five Phirnis in one go and get five more packed for home! And I always make this at home whenever I am craving the Purani Dilli Phirni, but I can’t go,” says Kohli who was more than happy to share her secret recipe when we reached out to her.

So, without further ado, here’s Kohli’s easy-breezy Phirni recipe that’s super easy to make and as authentic as they come. Also, as someone who has made the recipe herself (I don’t have the cooking chops that most people have), this recipe is a sure-shot hit.

What You’ll Need

  • 50 gm Rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
  • 150 gm Sugar (you can also add less or more depending on how sweet you want it )
  • 1 litre Milk
  • 1 tsp Saffron
  • 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
  • A few drops of Rose Water

Method

  1. Pour the milk into a kadhai (large vessel) and give it a good boil. While the milk comes to a boil, make a paste of the rice with 1 tablespoon of water in the grinder.
  2. Once the milk is done, lower the flame, add the rice paste and stir the mixture at regular intervals.
  3. After 30 minutes the milk would have reduced. Now, check if the rice has cooked and add in the sugar and cardamom powder and stir.
  4. After two to three minutes add the saffron and keep stirring.
  5. Switch off the flame and add the rose water.
  6. Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl and let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  7. Once it reaches room temperature, put the Phirni in the fridge for at least two hours.
  8. Serve your homemade Purani Dilli-style Phirni chilled.
  9. Pro Tip: Add some almonds or pistachios to this mixture or on top as garnish.

And there you have it, homemade Phirni that’ll have everyone going in for seconds and thirds.