Phirniset rice milk, the cardamom on top
Rice milk, set with a cold custard logic — the rice does the rice work (the body underneath), and the coagulation is the structure that lets the dal makhani's stock sit on top without the chana masala's sauce coming through. The ghee on top is the finish, and the samosa reads the section's dough logic the other way: the bloomed spice underneath, the butter on top.
Equipment
- A heavy-bottomed pan, for the rice underneath
- A fine sieve, for the coagulation that sets the rice milk
Ingredients
- 200 g short-grain rice, for the rice work underneath
- 1.2 L whole milk, for the coagulation that sets the rice milk
- 80 g sugar, for the structure that ties the rice to the cream
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed, for the finish on top (the flavor logic of the section, done on a custard body)
- 20 g ghee, for the finish on top
Method
- The rice. Rinse the 200 g of rice, and cook it in 300 ml of water until soft — the rice is the body underneath, and the rice's is what will give the custard its structure. The is the move that carries the custard logic, the same way the chana masala's sauce carries the stock's body.
- The milk. Bring the 1.2 L of milk to a simmer, and stir in the rice, the sugar, and the cardamom. Let it thicken over 20 min, stirring now and then, until the coagulation has set and the whole thing clings to the back of a spoon. The custard is the structure, and the rice is the stock underneath it.
- The set. Pour the custard through a fine sieve, and let it cool to room temperature. Then into the cold, for 4 h or overnight. The coagulation does the structure in the cold — the is the move that ties the rice to the cream, and the stock underneath is the body.
- The finish. A drizzle of the 20 g of ghee, and a crack of the cardamom over the top. The samosa's tadka reads the same stock the other way: the bloomed spice underneath, the butter on top.
Common failures
- Runny, won't set. The coagulation didn't reach the structure, so the rice milk stayed a stock rather than a custard. The is the move: the rice's starch is what sets the cream, and the coagulation is the structure that holds it.
- Grainy, the milk split. The heat was too high, so the cream separated from the rice. The heat is the rule: the coagulation does the structure at a simmer, not a boil.
- Flat, no cardamom. The cardamom went in too early, so the flavor work was done by the coagulation instead of the pod. The flavor logic of the section is the cardamom on top, not the cardamom in the custard.
Variations
- Kesar. A 2 g scatter of saffron threads, in the milk with the rice, and the phirni reads a little richer. The custard logic is the same, on a rice body.
- The nut. A 20 g scatter of Pistachio, crushed, over the top, and the stock underneath is the body, the ghee on top is the finish.
What to serve with it
The chana masala's sauce, or the dal makhani's stock, is the move the custard reads against. The samosa, as the section's dough on a deep-fried body, is the other half of the table.
More
Back to Indian · Techniques (custard, rice, stocks and dashi, sauces 101, doughs, tadka and blooming, pan heat, frying)