Junnu - A Sweet Milk Pudding

This is my first guest post. Sreevalli of Ammaji's recipes was so kind to ask me to do a guest post long back. But due to my computer problems I didn't get a chance to get to it till now! Thanks Sreevalli for asking me to do it! :)
I chose this simple sweet recipe for this special post called "Junnu". I am sure whoever has tasted this in the past would really like to revive this memory yet again.

The first milk of cattle after delivering a calf is called 'Junnu paalu' in our language, 'paalu' standing for milk.
This is steam cooked with some jaggery and black pepper to make this awesome pudding known as 'Junnu'.
Because of the thickness and creaminess of this milk, it forms a delicate pudding with a creamy texture without the addition of any other ingredients.
Well this was in the times when the 'first milk' was readily available like in the villages or even in the city, when your milkman would bring 'Junnu paalu' and offer it to you for a nominal price.

I have probably eaten the actual Junnu only once or twice in my lifetime, but the delicate taste has forever made a mark in my brain!
Now during present times, its very rare that we can get 'Junnu Paalu'. So I tried to make this delicacy using the ingredients readily available to us and I think it came out perfect, absolutely just like the actual 'Junnu'.
But I had to use eggs and so its not eggless like the actual and real 'Junnu'. Maybe some day that also will be possible. :)
Its a very simple recipe which churns out this amazing and delicious Milk Pudding. The combination of jaggery and pepper in  the real junnu is perfectly compensated by the sweetness is condensed milk and black pepper. The eggs bring out the right texture in the pudding, very close to the real one.


Ingredients:

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
2 cups milk
2 eggs
pinch of black pepper
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl along with eggs
Grease a steel bowl ever so lightly with oil.
Steam cook it in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes.
Remove and cool before flipping over onto a plate.
Flip it twice to bring it right side up.
Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy!!!

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2 minute Microwave Sponge cake in a mug with a sweet chocolatey inside

Days just fly by when kids are at home. Keeping them occupied and entertained is very big hassle which I guess every Mom faces! Same story goes with me. Especially my younger one....he either gets bored very soon or wants to do tons of stuff all at the same time. And so my struggles with him continue...in a sweet way!

Its been a while I posted here...tho I want to post, time just passes me by!....Even tho I am hosting an event on my blog....I am not finding time to write up a post! I feel very bad that I am not able to post. Its not that I am not cooking, but I am, but just to write up and edit the pictures, its become difficult. Something or the other keeps me away from my Laptop.
And then in between there are other stuff which have kept my mind in a turmoil!! I hope everything will be better by the end of summer. Let see...

So in order to send something to my own event, I made this Sponge cake in a mug. I wanted to make this long ago, when I have seen the chocolate version making rounds in the blogosphere. Just to give it a little twist, I inserted Hershey's chocolate kisses to the center to give kids a sweet surprise. And who wouldn't love a cake made just under 2 minutes??


For 2 mugs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
less than 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 of 1/4 cup milk
2 Hershey kisses for the interior for each mug

{1 minute on high + 20-40seconds as needed. (on high power - 1000 watts)}


Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in the wet ingredients and mix together.
Pour in 2 microwave safe mugs until about 1/3 full.
Put 2 Hershey's Kisses in the center, into the middle of the batter. they may not get covered completely but, when the batter cooks, they will get covered.
Microwave on high (1000 watts) for a minute.
[you will see the batter rise high and it will go back down again]
After a minute, microwave for about 20 seconds and check if its done, otherwise microwave for another 20 seconds. Microwaving for too long will make the cake dry.
Let it sit in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Remove and its ready to be served. You can let it completely cool or eat it just so!
Enjoy!!!

Sending this to MEC - Simple and Easy Snacks  - event on my Blog

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Hosting MEC - Simple and Easy All Time Snacks

Things have been pretty busy around here, Inlaws, kids vacation, friends...busy and fun time! Very very busy weekends as we are pretty much out of the house all day! Can't think of a more fun stuff to do, but things do come our way and we are making full use of time we have in hand!

MEC is being hosted here again after a long time. This time the theme being, Microwave Easy Cooking - Simple and Easy All Time Snacks, THANKS to Srivalli from Cooking 4 all Seasons who is the brain behind this wonderful event.

Dishes can be sweet or savory, and can be made using many or few ingredients...so go ahead and start making those yummy yummy dishes!!

I will be accepting both VEG and NON-VEG recipes.
ALL DISHES must be churned out from your MICROWAVE AND MICROWAVE ONLY! NO STOVETOP AT ALL FOR THE WHOLE RECIPE. Tho you can use blenders, mixies, food processors, BUT NO STOVETOP!

Rules are as follows:

1. VEG and NON-VEG DISHES accepted

2. All cooking must be done in the MICROWAVE only, that is final product must come out of the Microwave. Blenders, mixies, grinders, food processors allowed! Imagine you are left alone on an island with only a MICROWAVE and the ingredients!

3.MULTIPLE entries are allowed.

4. Two entries from archives allowed, as long as its reposted with LOGO and LINK.

5.LINK back to this announcement and Srivalli's MEC announcement page in your post.

6.Use of LOGO is mandatory, fun way to spread the word around!

7.Sure you can send in posts you sent to other events!.. No probs at all!

8.NON-BLOGGERs - Welcome and please do send in your entries...good way to showcase them and be PROUD of them!!!

9.DEADLINE is on the 31st July...I will surely accept entries sent on the last minute of that day too!! ;))

10.After POSTING, EMAIL me the following details @ smitha.joga@gmail.com with MEC-Simple and Easy all time Snacks as the subject.

Your Name:
Your Blog's name
Your Dish:
Your Dish's URL on your blog:
VEG or NON-VEG:
Picture attachment

Please so send in ur lovely entries...will be looking forward to enjoying all kinds of easy snacks!

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