Fereni: Persian Rice Flour Dessert

فرنی Fereni is a soft, creamy and sweet dessert made with rice flour, milk, sugar and rosewater and is very comforting for the cold winter days. My mother was born in the western city of Hamadan, Iran, which was known for its Alvand Mountain (kuh-e Alvand), historical background, many tourist attractions as well as its very cold winters. Hamadan is one of the oldest cities in Iran. When my mother married she moved from one of coldest and oldest cities in Iran to one of the hottest areas in the country with new constructions and developments due to the oil industry. She brought her love of Baba Taher poetry with her, some of Ibn Sina's knowledge about herbal medicines and Hamadan's cold weather foods. Foods that are meant to warm you up and soothe you came from my mother's side.

This is yet another wonderful dessert made with rice. Unlike the other rice desserts that are cooked with rice grains such Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard) and Rice Pudding (Shir Berenj), Fereni is made with rice flour.The cooking time may take about 20-30 minutes or until all the ingredients are all well blended, well cooked and thickened. However, Fereni needs a good stirring while cooking on the stove, otherwise it will turn into lumps.

Fereni, like many other delicious Iranian foods, doesn't need any garnish but decorating the food and making it pleasing to the eyes is also very important. Of course, this may vary from household to household. In our home, my father enjoyed an elaborately garnished and well presented dish just as much as he cared for the taste. On the other hand, my mother couldn't be bothered with food presentation after raising a bunch of loud and hyper kids (excluding me of course!) Many times she would bring the pot of stews (ash and abgusht) right from the stove to the table. That may be why I  go back and forth between making the food look pretty or just leaving it on the stove for everyone to serve themselves!

Fereni: Persian Rice Flour Dessert

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 cup rice flour

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 gallon of milk (6-8 cups of milk)

3 tablespoons rosewater 

1-2 tablespoons of crushed pistachios or slivered almonds for garnish

Method:

1. In a bowl add 2 cups of cold milk to the rice flour and let it soak for at least 1/2 an hour before cooking. 
2. In a heavy bottom pot, bring the remaining milk to a gentle boil, add the flour and milk mixture and lower the heat to medium-low. Give it a good stir. 
3. Mix in the sugar and stir frequently. Cook for about 20 minutes, add the rose water and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

Serve in a large bowl or small individual size bowls. Garnish with crushed pistachios or slivered almonds. 

Fereni may be served warm, cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!