Caribbean Beat — November/December 2018 (#154)

exchange boxes of ladoo. It is considered to be an auspicious
dessert — it’s got a lovely warm golden colour from the
chickpeas and the saffron.” Another traditional sweet is barfi, a
fudge-like confection made from powdered milk. It is common in
Trinidad as part of the typical bag of sweets distributed at Divali,
and it’s so ubiquitous here that it’s unusual to hear Singh say that
in India only families with “some means” actually make barfi. He
notes there’s been some evolution to this dessert. “People are now
adding pistachios and chocolate, and they’re also doing a kind of
marzipan-type barfi to which cashews are added.”
Another alternative? “If you were down in the south of India,
in Mysore or Bangalore, you’d encounter a sweet called Mysore
Pak,” Singh says. “It is made out of chickpeas cooked down with
sugar, ghee, and cardamom. Some baking soda is added so it can
set like rock sugar.”
Singh also does special desserts for Divali in his restaurants.
He makes the North Indian specialty halwa, described by food
writer Felicity Cloake as “a sweet, buttery pudding made with
everything from mung beans to pineapples, but which is often
carrot-based,” and adds a twist. “I serve the traditional halwa
inside a spring roll pastry, make it like a samosa. It’s deep fried,
and we serve it hot with ice cream.”
This sounds like the kind of thing I would try. Halwa is pretty
easy to make, and the ingredients are accessible. Singh’s recipe
calls for evaporated milk, but some chefs use a mixture of whole
milk and cream which gives the texture of a rich pudding. There’s
also the option of adding fruit and nuts — almonds, pistachios,
desiccated coconut, and raisins can all be used. I want to try
some dried fruit, maybe some chopped dates that will soften
and lend a great flavour and sweetness to the recipe. If you’re
able to use different coloured carrots for the halwa, that would
The meal I’d cook would take
influences from different parts of
India — especially the sweets
be perfect for presentation, and would create a dessert that gives
a nice end to a satisfying meal.
I hope Roger and his mother would approve of my menu,
which would look like this:
Punjabi chickpea fritters in yogurt curry
Kingfish curry served with pumpkin choka, curried bodi,
and channa
Basmati rice
Paratha roti
Mixed green salad
Dessert
Carrot halwa spring rolls n
Carrot halwa spring rolls
Carrot halwa in its traditional form must be India’s most
recognisable dessert, as it’s cooked in most Indian homes in
winter. It’s a great dessert for Divali, and not very difficult to
make.
60 g ghee or clarified butter
500 g regular carrots, peeled and grated
250 g black heritage carrots, peeled and grated
100 g sugar
2 tablespoons raisins
3 green cardamom pods, ground
250 ml evaporated milk
6 sheets of spring roll pastry (or filo pastry sheets)
30 g butter, melted, for brushing
vegetable oil, for frying
Divide the ghee between two separate pans and heat it
up. Add the two different grated carrots to separate pans
and sauté for ten minutes over a low heat until the juices from
the carrots evaporate. Add half the sugar, raisins, and ground
cardamom to each pan, and cook until the sugar melts. Divide
the evaporated milk between the pans and cook until each
mixture takes on the look and texture of fudge.
Spread the mixtures on two trays and let them cool. Divide
each mixture into six equal parts.
Take a spring roll pastry sheet and brush the edges with
melted butter. Place on a diagonal on a work surface. Place
one heap of orange carrot fudge and one heap of black
carrot fudge towards the corner closest to you. Take the
same corner of the pastry, fold it over the carrot mixture, and
continue rolling it until you reach almost to the middle of the
strip.
Tuck in from both sides, then continue rolling until you
reach the end of the pastry. Seal the edges with a drop of
water. Repeat the same process with the remaining sheets.
Heat a deep pan of oil to 160° C and deep-fry the spring
rolls for four to five minutes until they are golden brown. Drain
on kitchen paper.
Serve hot with ice cream of your choice.
Serves six.
Recipe courtesy Vivek Singh, from Indian Festival Feasts
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