Firnee is the Afghan milk pudding, and it parts company with the phirni of the Mughal Corridor in one decisive way: it is set with cornflour, not ground rice. That gives it a smoother, softer set, closer to a blancmange than to a rice pudding, scented with cardamom and a little rosewater and scattered with almonds and pistachios. It is made for special occasions, for iftar in Ramadan and for Eid, poured into one wide shallow dish, chilled, and served cold with plenty of green tea.
Zone: Silk Road Table
INGREDIENTS
- 1.4 litres whole milk (divided)
- 5 tbsp cornflour
- 200 g caster sugar
- ½ tsp freshly ground cardamom
- 1 tsp rosewater (optional)
- small handful of almonds and pistachios (sliced)
METHOD
- Whisk 240ml of the milk with the cornflour until completely smooth.
- Put the rest of the milk in a non-stick pan with the sugar, cardamom and rosewater, if using, and heat over a medium heat.
- Just before the milk boils, pour in the cornflour mixture slowly, whisking constantly, and keep stirring until it thickens.
- Take off the heat and pour into a wide, shallow serving dish. Leave to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Scatter with the almonds and pistachios and serve cold.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Cornflour and whole milk from any supermarket. Rosewater from the baking aisle or any Middle Eastern grocer; brands vary in strength, so add it a drop at a time. The source uses 300g sugar for a very sweet set; this card uses 200g. Unsalted pistachios and almonds. For the ground-rice pudding of the Mughal Corridor, see phirni. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Cornstarch and whole milk. Rosewater from Middle Eastern grocers or Kalustyan’s. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: Whisk without stopping from the moment the cornflour goes in. It thickens all at once, and any pause leaves lumps you cannot whisk out.
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