Barnyard Millet Navratra Pudding by Natasha Karan Nanda

Ingredients:

• 1 litre Full Cream milk
• 1/4 cup Jaggery
• 1/3 cup Barnyard Millet/sama ke chawal (soaked overnight)
• 1 cup Apples, chopped (skin peeled)
• 15 to 20 makhanas
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
• 2 tbsp Walnuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp Almonds, chopped (soaked and peeled)
• 2 tbsp Pistachios, chopped

Method:

• In a thick bottom saucepan, pour full cream milk. Bring it to boil on a low to medium heat.
• Then add samak ke chawal and stir very well. Cook the mixture on a low flame till the samak chawal gets cooked for about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Keep stirring the mixture at intervals so that the milk or the samak chawal do not get scorched from the base.
• Add jaggery, apple, and cinnamon powder and cook it again for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame, stirring constantly.
• Meanwhile take half cup of milk in a pan and heat it over medium heat. Add makhanas and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.
• Once this mixture comes to room temperature, blend it coarsely.
• Now, add this makhana mixture into the samak rice pudding mixture and again cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly or till the mixture thickens slightly. Turn off the flame.
• Cool the mixture to room temperature.
• Pour the mixture into separate ramekins and garnish with chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios.
• Cover the ramekins with cling film. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Serve chilled.