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The Tale of Gajar ka Halwa by Nashwa Ansari
Wintertime brings a bounty of culinary gems, and one such gem is the red carrot. Growing up I would wait for the temperature to lower, and the carrots to get sweeter. Like most South Asian families, mine has certain culinary traditions that have been passed down through generations and one of the most prominent of those has been that of the Gajar ka Halwa. It has been a staple winter dessert and comfort food for my family and many others throughout South Asia, and while every family has their own recipe and additions, the basic ingredients involved tend to stay the same. Red carrots, ghee, sugar, cardamom seeds, and milk (or a milk substitute) constitute the basis of a Gajar ka Halwa. Cooked over several hours, this myriad of ingredients is reduced to a sweet scarlet coloured treat that is synonymous with wintertime and provides a sense of warmth and comfort that is unmatched. Red carrots are one of the very few vegetables that strictly maintain their seasonal timetable, thereby making them more sought after, this is precisely what makes them such a winter specialty in Pakistan and South Asia.