The tradition in my family growing up was to make something sweet when it was a special occasion. That could be either a birthday or even independence day! It was a good excuse, I mean a good reason to eat dessert! I think my Dad grew up eating halwa for ‘special occasions’. The definition of halwa is a dessert with the consistency of a very thick pudding. There are different varieties of halwa made in India- carrot, almond, etc. It is also made out of certain lentils which is delicious.
I happen to have an extra packet of shredded carrots in my fridge that I needed to use up. I thought of making carrot halwa(pudding) with it. I decided to call my Mom to get her recipe and ask her how to make it simpler since it can be very labor intensive. I thought the day was very appropriate since it was my daughter’s birthday – perfect occasion, definitely according to my Dad!
This version is quite easy to make. I am sure the purist won’t be too happy with the simplicity but I think it works. I had a neighbor over for dinner and had her try it. She gave it a thumbs up!
- 10 ounces shredded carrots
- ½ cup milk (low fat or full fat is fine)
- 3 cardamoms, crushed
- ¼ cup+2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 tablespoon ghee (butter or oil is fine)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ricotta (packaged is fine)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Place the carrots in a medium bowl and microwave for 7-8 minutes. In a large non-stick frying pan add the carrots, milk and cardamom. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium for about 20 minutes, enough to evaporate the milk and soften the carrots. Next add the sugar, stir well. Add the ghee or butter. Saute on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Next add the ricotta, raisins and almonds.
If someone forced me to pick a meat to eat for the rest of my life, it would have to be goat meat. I love it! It is quite prevalent in India and I grew up eating it. I didn’t realize how much I liked it until I came to the States and didn’t get any or if I did, it was not very good quality. Now, things have changed and there are lots of Indian/Pakistani butchers that sell great quality goat meat. I usually get a big quantity and freeze to use, as I need. I love the flavor and the texture of goat. Some people think goat has a gamy flavor but it really doesn’t –it is more of a cross between mild lamb and beef. Now for this particular dish if you are not able to get goat meat, substitute beef, chicken thighs or lamb. You want to use any meat that will take a while to cook, like a stew. We ate it with some store-bought frozen naan and I made some lentils on the side. We had a German Riesling, although a good medium body red would go really well also!
Marinade
- 1 pound goat meat (chicken thighs, beef-stew meat, pork or lamb can be substituted), cut into medium pieces
- 1 large shallot
- 5 large garlic cloves
- 2 inches piece ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches
- 3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2-3 black pepper corns
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
Process the shallot, garlic, ginger and add to the goat pieces. Next grind all the dry spices and add to the meat and vegetable mixture. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, 2-3 hours is ideal.
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 1 large or 2 small onions, sliced
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan. Add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves, wait till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onions and sauté till golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and sauté till they become soft, another 5 minutes. Then add the goat pieces and sauté on a medium-high heat to brown the meat pieces, for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and lower the heat and cover. Cook for at least 1½ hours or till the meat is tender. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
