Firni Azerbaijani
“A silky milk-and-rice-flour pudding gently thickened on the stove, fragrant with cardamom and rose, dusted with cinnamon and traditionally eaten warm as a soothing morning or convalescent dish.”
Where it comes from
Firni (also fereni) is a classic Azerbaijani milk pudding made from rice flour; it is widely cited among traditional Azerbaijani sweets and breakfast dishes.
On the plate
Spoon-soft and velvety, it tastes mildly sweet and milky, lifted by floral cardamom and a whisper of rose. The cinnamon on top adds a warm, dusty fragrance that makes it feel both gentle and a little festive.
How it works
Rice flour's fine starch granules swell and gelatinize evenly in the hot milk, producing a smooth, lump-free pudding without the graininess of whole-grain rice puddings.
Variations
firni with saffron, version topped with chopped pistachios, firni without rose water, thicker set version cut into squares
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓25 min active · 30 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 13 min
Whisk rice flour into a little cold milk to make a smooth slurry.
- 25 min
Heat the remaining milk with sugar in a saucepan until warm.
- 32 min
Pour in the rice-flour slurry while whisking constantly.
- 412 min
Cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens to a pourable custard.
- 51 min
Stir in a little ground cardamom and a splash of rose water.
- 64 min
Pour into shallow bowls and let cool until just set.
- 71 min
Dust the surface with ground cinnamon, sometimes in a pattern.
- 81 min
Serve warm or lightly chilled.
