Mango phirni is a creamy-rich, sweet delicacy, made with coarsely ground aromatic basmati rice, milk, fresh mangoes, and flavored with saffron and green cardamom. Enjoy this chilled and refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

PHIRNI ( RICE PUDDING )

Phirni is a rice pudding made with just 3 basic ingredients – rice, milk, and sugar. Occasionally, flavoring such as saffron rose, or green cardamom is used to enhance the flavor. Fruits such as mango and strawberry are also used to make fruit-based phirni.

In India, I remember during summers my mom used to make mango phirni. It was the best phirni!! She used Alphonso’s (Kesar) mango to make mango phirni.

Alphonso mango is the best-tasting mangoes and is easily available in India. She used to make mango milkshake, mango shrikhand, mango kulfi, mango kalakand (fudge), mango basundi – different preparation of rice pudding, and mango phirni.

My mom used to make phirni with aromatic basmati rice. She used to soak the rice for 30-60 minutes, and then coarsely grind it. In a heavy bottom pan, simmer milk and rice, until thickened. Add sugar, and flavoring such as saffron, and green cardamom to enhance the flavor.

Once the phirni was at room temperature, mix in some fresh alphonso mango puree. She then used these cute little earthen bowls known as “kulhad” or “shikora”, fill them with phirni, and chill them. It was a perfect sweet treat to enjoy on a hot summer day!!

I make the phirni the same way as my mom did, except we don’t get Alphonso mango where I live. I usually get Mexican mangoes, which are also very sweet and flavorful. Add some almond flour that boosts flavor and nutrients, but it’s optional.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHIRNI & KHEER

Phirni is very similar to Kheer (rice pudding) in terms of ingredients. Both phirni and kheer are made using aromatic basmati rice, milk, and sugar, and with some saffron, and cardamon flavoring (optional).

The main difference between phirni and kheer is that kheer is made with whole rice whereas phirni is made with coarsely ground rice or sometimes even with rice flour. I prefer coarse ground rice as it gives a nice texture to the phirni.

The consistency of phirni is quite thick, however, kheer is lighter inconsistency.

Kheer can be served warm or cold. Phirni is always served chilled.

INGREDIENTS FOR MANGO PHIRNI

3-4 ripe mango

4 cups of full-fat milk

1/4 cup Basmati rice

1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder

15-20 saffron strands

1/4 cup almond flour

sugar or preferred sweetener, adjust to taste

FOR GARNISH

1-2 ripe mango

A handful of slivered pistachios, almonds

HOW TO MAKE MANGO PHIRNI

Making mango phirni is very easy. Though it requires some stirring, trust me every effort is worth it. Sharing my easy, step-by-step method of making this delicious, creamy dessert. You can make it in Instant Pot or stovetop, I have shared both methods.

PREP FOR MANGO PHIRNI

Wash and rinse, the rice a few times or until the water runs clear.

Soak the rice in 1/2 cup of water for 30 minutes.

Drain the rice, and add it to a blender. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and grind the rice to a coarse texture. Set it aside.

Note: The texture of the ground rice is similar to sooji/semolina.

Peel and slice the mango. Add mango slices to a blender and puree them. Keep it aside.

Note: If the mango puree is fibrous, use a Fine Mesh Sieve and strain the puree, before adding it to the phirni.

Note: If the mango is tart, adding the tart mango puree can result in the curdling of milk. Cook the mango puree first before adding it to the phirni. Take a saucepan, add mango puree along with some sugar, and cook until sugar dissolves completely. You can now add the mango puree to the phirni. 

INSTANT POT MANGO PHIRNI

You will need an Instant Pot

Turn ON sauté mode (more). Add milk, cardamom powder, and saffron strands, mix well.

Bring the milk to a boil, and stir every 2-3 minutes, to prevent any milk from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the rice paste, and cook the mixture stirring every 2-3 minutes. Cook until mixture thickens, around 10-15 minutes. Turn OFF the sauté mode. 

Note: The consistency of the mixture is more like a rabdi, thickened milk.

Let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. Add mango puree, and almond flour, and mix well.

Note: Do not add the mango puree, while the mixture is hot, it can curdle.

Taste the phirni, and add sugar or preferred sweetener to taste. Mix well.

Transfer the phirni into a serving bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours or until chilled.

Garnish with some fresh diced mango, and nuts. Enjoy!

STOVETOP MANGO PHIRNI

In a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven, add milk, cardamom powder, and saffron strands, and mix well.

Bring the milk to a boil, and stir every 2-3 minutes, to prevent any milk from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the rice paste, and cook the mixture stirring every 2-3 minutes. Cook until mixture thickens, around 10-15 minutes. Turn OFF the heat. 

Note: The consistency of the mixture is more like a rabdi, thickened milk.

Let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. Add mango puree, and almond flour, and mix well.

Note: Do not add the mango puree, while the mixture is hot, it can curdle.

Taste the phirni, and add sugar or preferred sweetener to taste. Mix well.

Transfer the phirni into a serving bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours or until chilled.

Garnish with some fresh diced mango, and nuts. Enjoy!

Pic Shown: Mango Phirni

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS MANGO PHIRNI 

TYPE OF MANGO – The flavor of the phirni, depends upon the quality of the mango. Pick the good quality, ripe, sweet, juicy mangoes. Mango, which is less fibrous, tastes fresh and has a sweet aroma. 

If the mango puree is fibrous, use a Fine Mesh Sieve and strain the puree, before adding it to the phirni.

If the mango is tart, adding the tart mango puree can result in the curdling of milk. Cook the mango puree first before adding it to the phirni. Take a saucepan, add mango puree along with some sugar, and cook until sugar dissolves completely. You can now add the mango puree to the phirni. 

TYPE OF RICE – I prefer basmati rice, as it is aromatic and flavorful. Though Basmati rice is the preferred rice for making phirni, feel free to use any good quality, aromatic rice for this recipe. 

Soak the rice for around 30 minutes. Soaking the rice before cooking does boost the flavor and consistency of this phirni. 

Do not grind the rice too fine, it should be coarse. The consistency of the ground rice is similar to sooji/semolina.

FULL-FAT MILK – creaminess in the phirni comes from the fat in the milk. Full fat gives a nice creamy texture to the phirni without adding any cream. 

ALMOND FLOUR – almond flour adds richness to this dish. You can also use cashew paste or make it nut-free, will do.

SWEETENER – We love the fresh, fruity flavor of the mangoes. I use only mango puree to make phirni, mangoes naturally sweeten the phirni without any added sugar. 

Feel free to use the sweetener of your choice or condensed milk. Condensed milk adds a nice caramelized flavor, and richness to the phirni. 

Cool the phirni mixture before adding mango puree, to avoid any curdling of the milk.

Phirni thickens as it cools down. You can adjust the consistency by adding some milk.

Pic Shown: Mango Phirni

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE STORE-BOUGHT MANGO PUREE 

Yes, you can use fresh or canned mango puree. Please see that canned mango puree comes with a ton of added sugar, use it carefully.

CAN I USE FROZEN MANGO 

Yes, you can. Puree and use it as suggested.

HOW TO MAKE PHIRNI NUT-FREE

For a nut-free phirni, simply skip all the nuts and the almond flour. Instead, you can use some pumpkin seeds and chia seeds for garnish. It will still taste delicious.

HOW TO MAKE PHIRNI SUGAR-FREE

For a sugar-free phirni, substitute the sweetener of your choice instead of refined sugar and condensed milk. 

CAN I SKIP SAFFRON, CARDAMON

Yes, you can reduce the quantity or skip it entirely, both would work. 

CAN I USE CREAM 

The phirni is quite rich and creamy, even without any addition of the cream. However, if you prefer, you can add the cream to your liking. Add it at the end, when the rice is almost cooked.

HOW TO SERVE MANGO PHIRNI 

Phirni tastes best when served chilled. Add phirni into a serving bowl, add some diced mango pieces, nuts of your choice. 

Phirni can be served as a dessert or accompanied by some Aloo Puri 

CAN I FREEZE MANGO PHIRNI 

Yes, you can. If planning on freezing phirni, do not add mango puree. Store the rice phirni and mango puree in a separate freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight, mix rice phirni and mango and serve chilled.

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