Phirni

As we all know tomorrow Indians all over the world will celebrate Raksha Bandhan; the festival which celebrates the bonding of love, affection and trust between brother and sister. A promise made by a brother to protect his sister in each and every circumstances.

Celebrating any festival by treating your family by making some special dishes have its own fun. I have already posted some very easy desserts which you can try this Rakhi. Have a look here:

• Shahi Tukda
• Malpua
• Rasgulla
• Langcha
• Coconut Ladoo
• Gajorer Patishapta/ Carrot Crepes
• Carrot Barfi/ Carrot Fudge

Today's recipe is Phirni or Firni. It's a kind of rice pudding which is very popular in North Indian and Mughlai cuisine. This pudding is also prepared during the holy month of Ramzan and to celebrate festivals like Holi, Diwali etc.....

It's a very easy and quick dessert which needs very few ingredients. It's very similar to Rice Kheer but the difference lies in the kind of rice being used. Phirni is prepared from ground rice while the later is prepared from whole rice. Traditionally, Phirni is served in earthen clay pots and garnished with dry fruits and edible silver leaf.

There are many variations of Phirni; Mango Phirni, Rose Phirni, Almond Phirni, Pistachio Phirni, Kesar Phirni and the list goes on but today I'm posting the recipe of a very basic Phirni. So let's get started:

Hridoy Horon Pithe.....A Heart Stealing Delicacy

The foodies just need a reason to celebrate and slurp some of the sumptuous delicacies. Whether it's Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas or a simple weekend, we don't miss any chance to cook and then wolf it down. But this time for sure we have a reason. Yes, it's "Makar Sankranti" or "Poush Sankranti" (in Bengali) which is a major harvest festival in many parts of India. In Eastern India this festival is also called as "Poush Parbon" or "Poush Sankranti" as this festival marks end of the month "Poush". 

During this auspicious time of the year several desserts are prepared using freshly harvested paddy, nolen gur (date palm jaggery) and coconuts which are called as "Pithe" or "Pitha". The sweet shops in Kolkata are bursting with the sweets made up of "Nolen Gur". Every household is filled with the aroma of Pithe at this time of the year.

I grew up seeing my Mom and Grandma making these pithe. They use to spend their whole day (of Sankranti) making several types of pithe and payesh (rice pudding); I'm just following their footsteps. Well, I have to also confess that I don't make so many varieties of pithe-payesh but I do make three to four varieties. 

Pithe or Pitha is a type of cake or dimsum common in the Eastern India and Bangladesh. They are made up of rice flour or wheat flour batter (or dough), stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients and then cooked. 

"Hridoy Horon Pithe" is a very palatable and easy on the eye delicacy. "Hridoy Horon" is a bengali term which means "Heart-robbing". This dessert literally steals your heart when you look at it. When I made it at the very first time, trust me I couldn't have it, not because it didn't turn out well but due to its exceptional and affectionate look. Anyway that's another story :)

So, let's start with this heart stealing recipe of the pithe: