Something about food...

There's something about food that warms your heart. More than just satisfying hunger and filling up the belly, good food has the power to restore depleted energies. And one doesn't mind a hectic day spent, IF you can sit down for a nice warm meal afterwards. All your efforts seem worthwhile then :-)
On the other hand, there are times when I eat on the go..feeding myself is another chore that needs to be taken care of..quite like fueling up the car so it doesn't come to a stop. Do I remember what I ate? NO...

So yesterday evening I'd made some makki ki roti and sarson ka saag AND Gajar Halwa.Too much to do in one go I know, but then I was on a roll :-) and that's how I crash and burn somedays ;-)

Here's how I made the Gajar halwa yesterday. Tweaked it a bit with a little tip I had from my friend's mum whom I saw after a very long time:

You'll need:

1 kg Carrots peeled, washed & grated
2 ltr Skimmed milk
1-2 large tbsp sugar (or more according to taste)
1 tbsp desi Ghee
a handful of chopped Almonds/Pistachios/Cashew/Raisins
a pinch or 2 of Cardamom powder

1. Boil all the milk together or separately. Take half of it in a heavy based wok/saucepan, add the cardamom powder and bring it to a boil. Yesterday I forgot to add the cardamom at this stage and later when I did it's taste was lost :-(
Then add the carrots and let cook on simmer. You'll need to stir it once in a while to make sure that things don't stick to the bottom of the pan/wok, and if they still do you need to lower the heat further.

2. Once all the milk seems absorbed, add half of the remaining half. Toss in some of the chopped nuts and raisins. Let cook and reduce again. Then add the remaining half (and some nuts)and let reduce again. That's the trick - to add the milk in batches instead of in one go.

3. Once all the milk is reduced and the carrots start sticking to the base of the pan/wok, its time to give it a good stir and add the sugar in. Once the sugar is added you can up the heat and then you need to stir it constantly. Once all the sugar seems to have dissolved completely nd the colour appears brighter, add in the ghee and stir for a good 3-5 minutes. Take off the heat, into the serving dish and garnish with the remaining dryfruit.

Serve hot.

3.