RAWALPINDI: The mention of winter culinary delights brings to mind the image of grated carrots sizzling in a pan of clarified butter, topped with pistachios and almonds. The rich buttery taste of Gajar Halva which is traditionally served hot makes it a perfect winter dessert.

Halvas are dense milk desserts made from various ingredients across India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Gajar or carrots because of their natural sweetness are an ideal ingredient for Halva and Gajar Halva has graced tables in this region since the time of the Mughal emperors.

Today, while making Gajar Halva is an annual winter ritual in many homes, sweet shops across the city also specialise in various kinds of Halvas. In the summer these shops sell cold milk products like Kheer and Kulfi, but with the arrival of fresh juicy carrots in the market each winter, Gajar Halva becomes the bestselling item.

The most famous of these shops are in Rawalpindi Cantonment, Bhabra Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Chaklala Scheme-III and Westridge.

Muhammad Nasir, the chef at a shop in Saddar, says that the recipe for Gajar Halva is simple; carrots are peeled, grated and cooked in their own juices. Once the carrots soften, milk is added. The softened carrots soak the milk, after which sugar is added. The whole mixture is then cooked until it dries and milk solids can be seen in the pan.

The rich taste of this Halva comes from being fried in clarified butter and the addition of a special ingredient known as khoya. Khoya is congealed milk fat which is prepared by drying milk in a heated pan for several hours.

The secret of a good Halva, Nasir says, is in choosing the right carrots. According to him, large red carrots make Halva that is not only delicious in taste but also adorns a table by bringing colour to it.

Another important factor is the cooking time. The best Gajar Halva is cooked slowly over two to three hours which draws the natural sweetness of the carrots and allows it to fuse with the creamy richness of the milk, khoya and clarified butter.

“We have been in this business for the last many years and sell more than 30 kilogrammes of Halva each day,” he said.

Sheikh Yousaf, a shopkeeper in Bhabra Bazaar, says the recipe for this Halva may be the same everywhere but the procedure for cooking varies from shop to shop. The richness of Gajar Halva varies according to how much khoya, clarified butter and nuts are used.

“Another factor is freshness; we ensure that we keep restocking every few hours. Our customers would be able to tell in an instant if the Halva has been sitting since morning and they would never come to our shop again,” he said.

“We eagerly wait for the winter season because Gajar Halva becomes available. In a cold winter night, there is nothing better than a bite of hot buttery Halva followed by a sip of Kashmiri tea,” said Raja Farhan, a visitor to a shop in Saddar.

He said the sweet and confectionery shops on Murree Road and Saddar are the best place to get quality Gajar Halva.

Another customer, Munir Ahmed, said that he buys Gajar Halva twice a week as it is his favourite dessert.

“The supply of natural gas has been precarious all winter which is why we have been unable to cook Gajar Halva at home this year,” he said.

“The milk fat and nuts in Gajar Halva provide natural heat to the body in the winter,” he added.

The use of natural carrots and milk in Gajar Halva makes it a dessert which is also high in nutritional value.

“People of all ages should eat carrots because they contain vitamin A which is great for the eyes. Children and younger people can benefit from eating Gajar Halva but older people should ensure their Halva contains lesser amounts of ghee as it is rich in cholesterol,” said Dr Tahir Sharif.

“To ensure that no artificial food colouring and low quality oil is used in Gajar Halva, it is best to cook it at home. If people prefer to buy it from the shops then reputed shops should be selected,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 12th , 2014

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