Microwave Makai Jajaria/Sweet Corn Pudding/Sweet Corn Halwa

Happy & Prosperous New Year’s to all the readers, commenters and followers of ‘Yummy Food’.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce.

When I sat to make this post, I don’t know why but this memory of years back kept on coming to my mind again and again….so I thought I will scribble it….Years back, when I was newly married, me and my husband were coming back to Bangalore from native by bus….I always prefer sitting at window side seat…..it was ‘New Year’s Night’ and the moon was full….so I can see everything out clearly…I can see each and every shop irrespective of big or small is decorated with tiny string of lights….As the bus passed through small villages, I can see girls drawing ‘Rangoli’ and writing down ‘Happy New Year’ / Welcome New Year….on the roads in front of the houses.

As it was my first ‘New Year’ after marriage I was pretty much exited about it…though we were in travel, I bought a Rose and a gift for my dear husband…Slowly but steadily bus started heading towards the destination crossing the fields, houses, lakes, dhaba’s and rocky mountains….I rarely sleep in the bus, as I love watching outside, though it may be  night….When bus lights are turned off and when I looked outside, I can see star light sky with a beautiful moon shining and saying….I am travelling with you dear…..

I got completely soaked up in the surroundings; I forgot the time….then with a sudden jerk, the bus driver parked the bus on the side of the road, very near to a street light pole….in the far I can see a dhaba with decorative and colorful lights….Everyone were wondering what happened, someone in the back said….tyre puncture and some one said may be driver needs to attend a nature call…..but to everyone’s surprise….

Driver along with co-driver and cleaner took out a big cover with a big white color box….then the driver slowly took out a big cake with two pink colored cream roses on it…Happy New Year was written on it….Then the driver took out a candle, lit it and asked everyone in the bus to blow it….everyone got up from there place and cheered when the driver took the charge to cut the cake…..everyone in a chorus clapping hands shouted ‘Happy New Year’……

The bus driver then distributed the cake among all the passengers and said thank you for travelling with A.P.S.R.T.C. Again everyone clapped and started digging into the cake…it was really an yum cake…Then I slowly took out and gave the rose which I was hiding from my dear husband since evening…along with the gift which I bought for him….he was very happy and I could see the expression of happiness in his eyes clearly in that moonlight night…..As the night went more darker….I slowly rested my head on my dear husband’s shoulder and saw the moon….by now moon has covered the warm blanket of clouds and getting ready to play peek a boo for the rest of the night….. It was one of the most memorable bus journeys so far to me……

With these sweet memories, I thought it will be good to post a sweet recipe to start on my new year….The recipe of the day is ‘Makai Jajaria’….call it a sweet corn pudding or a halwa….it’s simple in making with less readily available in house ingredients. It is a Rajasthani Delicacy made more in the regions of Udaipur….This is for the first time I tried making this delicacy….and I loved it…I have made this in Microwave….You can even make this in pressure cooker or on just stove top method….I prefer using microwave because, when you make anything in microwave, you get time to cook something else on stove top….this gives you time to make more things in less time….so I like microwave version of recipes more than stove cook versions…..This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dala’s Cooking & More magazine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tin Sweet Corn Kernels
• 1¼ cup Milk
• ½ cup Sugar
• ¼ tbsp. Cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp. Ghee
• FOR GARNISH:
• few strands of Saffron
• 1 tbsp. silvered Almonds/ Almond flakes

PREPARATION:

• Drain the water from sweet corn kernels and pulse them in a mixer for 3-4 seconds. Set aside.
• In a microwave safe bowl add ghee and above ground sweet corn kernels. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
• Now add milk and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring for every one minute.
• Now add sugar and microwave for another 3-4 minutes, stirring for every one minute.
• Now add cardamom powder and mix well. Microwave for another 1 minute.
• Garnish with silvered almonds and strands of saffron.

NOTES:

• If you are using fresh sweet corn then you can easily grate the corn. This recipe tastes best when made with fresh sweet corn.
• Just remember, don’t puree the sweet corn kernels. The mixture should be coarse.
• Microwave timing differs from company to capacity. So keep a eye on the recipe when making it for the fist time.

STOVE-TOP METHOD:

• If making on stove, then take a heavy bottom cooking vessel and add ghee. When ghee heats up add grated sweet corn kernels mixture. Cook and stir till the mixture turns light brown. This may take nearly 10-12 minutes. Cook on low flame and keep stirring to avoid burning of the mixture.
• Now slowly add milk by stirring continuously. Cook till milk evaporates. Now add cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well and cook till everything comes together.
• Serve hot by garnishing with almond flakes and saffron strands.

This post is going to participate in Foodabulous Fest event at Preeti's Kitchen Life.