Plum and Barnyard Millet Pudding

Plum and barnyard millet pudding is my second entry to the kitchenaid contest by IFBM 2014. Making only the gnocchi was in my mind, but  I started thinking of what to make next with the leftover recipes. I usually make creamy aval pudding for our evening snack using milk, decided to add plums to it. When all set it to ready, abruptly, I changed my mind to prepare something healthy atleast that uses healthy ingedients 🙂

After I made this pudding, just before assembling, my father-in-law came to kitchen. Seeing me working on some dish, asked me whether it is a sweet pongal. Not a bad guess though. It looked like sweet pongal and it can be a sweet pongal if you add some split yellow moong dal, lots of ghee, cardamom and roasted nuts.

Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Barnyard millet – 1/3 cup

Milk – 2 cups
Water – 1/4 cup
Jaggery – 2/3 cup
Plums – 5 nos, cubed and pitted
Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
Cucumber seeds – for garnishing
Ground nutmeg – a pinch (optional)

Method:

1) Make a coarse powder out (like rava/semolina) of barnyard millet and out of this mixture, take 1/3 cup for making this pudding. Cook it in the milk till it becomes tender and get creamy consistency. You can also pressure cook it for 3-5 whistles. Once done, cool down to room temperature.
2) Meanwhile, heat jaggery with 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan. Once it has melted down completely, filter it to remove the impurities.
3) Bring it back to the saucepan along with cubed plums. Let it simmer till the plums becomes soft and shiny. Turn it off and cool down.
4) Pour the jaggery syrup to the cooked barnyard millet saving the plums separately in another bowl. Add vanilla extract. Mix well. The consistency should be some what slightly thick but runny in nature.
5) Pour the mixture in serving bowls. Top it with glazed plums.
6) Refrigerate it for half an hour. It becomes thick again as it cools down.
7) Sprinkle cucumber seeds and fresh cream just before serving.

Notes:

1) You can also use barnyard millet as such without powdering it. I got creamy consistency with 4 whistles. If you are not getting the creamy consistency, leave it for more whistles or mash it well.
2) Any nuts can be used. I saved some pudding and had it with fresh cream which tasted too good.