Food Stories: Gajar ka halwa
Delightfully delicious, that’s the only way to describe Gajar ka halwa. Who thought of adding sugar, milk and ghee to carrots, simmering it until the milk dried and serving it as a delectable dessert? Legend has it that the Sikhs from Punjab introduced it to the house of the Mughals. The Emperors enjoyed its vibrant colour, flowery aroma, and slightly chewy texture, and it gained popularity far and wide spreading sweetness throughout the empire.
Halwa finds its roots in the Arabic language and refers to many dense or compact desserts. Originally halwa was either flour based or used various nuts with sugar, milk and butter to create a sweet gelatinous, or hardened nutty dessert. It is commonly believed that this kind of halwa was introduced to the settlers in India through trade with the Middle East and Asia Minor during the expansion of the Mughal Empire.
The Mughal Empire was spreading, and international traders were bringing in intriguing new goods for exchanges, barter and purchase and the orange carrot is said to be one such treasure. Carrots were originally purple in colour and were indigenous to Afghanistan for almost 5000 years. They came in colours such as red, yellow, black and white, but not orange, until the 17th century when the horticulturalists in the Netherlands decided to honour William of Orange, from the House of Orange, by creating an orange carrot. Though many believe that it was a coincidence; and the orange colour was a mutation of the red and yellow carrot and had no significant link to the Royal House of Orange. This new orange carrot was sweeter, prettier and of a non-sticky variety, making it popular amongst the cooks.
The Mughal Empire was at its zenith, a dynasty that was splendid and modern and looking for trade with the rest of the world. This orange carrot had already spread far and wide to Europe, Middle East, and of course now South Asia with the coming of the Dutch East India Company to the sub-continent in the 17th century.
The cooks in the subcontinent liked the new imported carrot and the sweetness that came with it, and since it was an era when new cuisines were being developed by expert chefs and connoisseurs, this kind of carrot seemed to be of a perfect variety to be tried as the main ingredient in the halwa, with sugar, milk and butter, sans the flour and nuts.
The province of Punjab apparently took an instant liking to it, and started developing innovative new recipes, sweet and savory. It was a vegetable that peaked as a winter harvest and its abundance in the glorious winters nudged the cooks to develop a hot delicious dessert best served any time of the day, before or after a meal, or as a side with chai or dodhpati. Gajar ka halwa was an instant hit all over the Indian subcontinent, from pauper to prince.
The shared food heritage between Pakistan and India is fascinating, we share the same food stories and love the same foods and can rightfully both lay claim to most foods as our own. This not only makes for a delightfully interesting dinner conversation with friends, but also makes for a common ground to share family recipes and stories. Luckily for me, one of my closest friends, Sumbla Tufail, makes the best Gajar ka halwa in the world. I have been devouring it for the past 13 winters without having to look over my shoulder for a peeping auntie. Sumbla graciously shared her mother’s recipe with me, and upon making it myself I beckoned my 11-year-old for the tasting. Nothing like reliving a moment through one’s own child; as she excitedly complimented, “mom, this is the best Gajar ka halwa in the world!’ Here it is, from my kitchen to yours.
Gajar ka halwa (serves 10 to 12)
Ingredients
2 ¼ lbs carrots (orange)
1.60 to 1.80 liters of milk
½ pint half and half
1/3 pint heavy whipping cream
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 to 3 tbsp butter (unsalted)
¼ cup oil
8 to 10 cardamoms
1 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp blanched and chopped almonds
Method
Lightly peel and grate carrots and set aside. Bring milk to boil and add carrots, let milk and carrot mixture come to boil, then add half and half and sugar, stirring constantly.
Keep stirring until the mixture comes to a boil, reducing heat to medium. Once the milk evaporates (should take 1 ½ to 2 hours) add heavy cream, stirring constantly.
Once the cream evaporates add butter, oil and cardamoms stirring constantly, keeping the flame medium to high. Keep stirring until oil separates, and the colour is a rich beautiful deep orange.
Garnish with raisins and almonds and serve.
-Photos by Fawad Ahmed.