Kharuch/Junnu – Celebrations with a Milk Pudding

With every monsoon we find ourselves in the midst of a new cycle of births & new learnings. This year, Dhwaj was blessed with the birth of our calf Murli just two days before Janmashtami. Thanks to Dhwaj, I am learning a lot about the farm environment and its animals.
Since last year, I have come to understand the importance of a mother’s colostrum, which is essential for her newborn calf but should be given in moderation.

As mentioned earlier, this blog is dedicated to the #peopleofdhwaj, from whom we are learning to live in harmony with Mother Nature and her bounty. I will share all the local delicacies I discover in this space.

Kharuch / Kharwas / Junnu

https://youtu.be/6pRHLegdUho

Method

– Mix the raw cow milk with the collustrum until it forms a unified liquid mixture. Colostrum is the first extract from the cow, characterized by its thick yellow appearance. In contrast, regular cow’s milk is lighter and pearly white.
– To this milk, add the grated jaggery, coconut and green cardamom powder.
– Mix the ingredients until the jaggery has melted in the slurry.
– On the stove, fill the steamer vessel with water and place the milk slurry utensil on top. Cover the milk vessel with a lid and then close the steamer vessel with its lid.
– Allow the mixture to steam for 30 minutes over medium heat. You can check it after 20 minutes to see if it has reached a thick consistency. I gently shook the vessel and noticed it jiggle like jelly! 🙂
– Once you achieve the desired consistency, turn off the heat and let the vessel cool down.
– Once the vessel has cooled to lukewarm temperature, carefully remove the Kharwas vessel from the steamer. You can do this earlier, but be cautious, as the steaming hot water can be very dangerous if you are not experienced with this kind of cooking.
– Cut a portion of the delightful treat and enjoy! It tastes heavenly when it is still lukewarm.
– Once it has cooled down, refrigerate the treat and enjoy it as a dessert later.

Important Note

– This recipe uses excess colostrum from the cow. We do not endorse mass malpractices associated with large-scale production.
– Colostrum is essential milk for the calf; however, the newborn cannot digest too much of it. To relieve the mother of the excess milk, she is milked within 24 hours, and this liquid is used to make this dish.
– The milk produced in the first 48 hours gradually decreases in concentration, and starting from the fourth day, the calf can nurse freely from its mother.