Mum’s Gulab Phirni (Rose flavoured rice pudding)

Gulab phirni is a rice pudding that’s flavoured with rose petals. It’s really a labour of love and has the perfect texture from broken rice. Each bite is creamy, with a crinkle from the rice — in my opinion, it’s the perfect Indian dessert.

Today I am going to share one of my favorite recipes from my mum’s kitchen. It was a difficult choice because my mum is a fantastic cook and we usually go gaga over everything she makes haha.

But this Gulab Phirni is a crowd-pleaser! It’s really easy to make, doesn’t require a lot of effort, and the hint of rose petals keeps you wanting more with every bite. This is a great festive dessert, but it works even as a comforting post dinner dessert!

Gulab Phirni Ingredients Overview

This gulab phirni calls for just 6 really simple, pantry staple ingredients. Rice and milk are two main ingredients. We start with soaking the rice and then blending it to form a coarse paste. We then start boiling full fat milk along with the rice and some kesar strands until it thickens.

Once the rice is completely cooked, add sugar, and whisk until it’s completely dissolved. Then we allow the mixture to cool completely, once cool, blitz in the mixture for exactly 5 seconds to achieve a creamy texture.

Next we mix in the dried rose petals, transfer to serving bowls, top with some more dried rose petals and chopped pistachios, almonds and your creamy and cosy gulab phirni is ready to be served!

Richa’s Top Tips

• I highly recommend using full fat milk for this recipe as that will give you the thick, creamy results that this gulab phirni calls for.
• Make sure to add the sugar after the rice is completely cooked to prevent lumps or an uneven texture.
• I haven’t added any food color to this rose phirni, but if you want your phirni to be rose-colored, feel free to add a tiny amount of red food coloring to the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

This gulab phirni is a warm, decadent and fragrant Indian sweet that truly feels like a hug. I usually make this during the festive season for my Diwali parties, but it’s also something the family and I love having on winter nights to wind down and chill.

Don’t forget to share a comment below if you make it, and send me your recreations over on my IG @my_foodstory!

More Indian Sweets You Must Try

• Rice Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
• Festive Chocolate Rice Kheer (Pudding)
• Kesar Pedas
• Homemade Jalebi: Thin and Crispy