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.
Firni (also fereni) is a classic Azerbaijani milk pudding made from rice flour; it is widely cited among traditional Azerbaijani sweets and breakfast dishes.
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.
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
Where Firni Azerbaijani sits in the Azerbaijani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 10 min
- 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.
Watch outWhisk the slurry in while the milk is only warm, not hot — add it to boiling milk and it curdles into grains.
- 412 min
Cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens to a pourable custard.
Watch outStir constantly over low heat until it thickens enough to just coat the spoon — it firms up more as it cools, so pull it while still pourable.
- 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.
