“Food had power. It could inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress.”– Anthony Bourdain
Food is beautiful alchemy of colours, textures, spices, fruits and flowers that grow in the wild. It all comes together in the form of flavour, taste, and, if you’re lucky, even comfort.
Human endeavour has taken us to places far and wide. We have sent a man to Moon, we have ventured the terrain of Mars, we have also somehow made it possible to connect with our loved ones from continents apart and even from space. From sending dogs into space to canning tomatoes to boxing wines, we have seen it all.
But yet we find ourselves looking for things that we do not get in this practical, functional, well-paying cog to someone’s mechanism life.
It is often the simple stuff. What makes me sad is that we have gone to the extent of creating the most comfortable mattress and the best lazy-boy recliner. However, we still don’t know where comfort and satisfaction lies.
When we go to that home cuisine restaurant or in the grocery store’s frozen aisle, we find ourselves looking for it.
Being from India, my family always made sure that I was connected to my roots and heritage. Because my family had to leave their home and all their belongings in the great migration, all they could really hold on to was the culture: recipes, language and stories. So that is what became dear to me. And this goes for all families that were displaced during that migration. Many generations worth of memories, wealth and belongings left behind only to seek a livelihood elsewhere.
So, upon my arrival in Melbourne, Australia, I was faced with a craving of some sort. I could not quite put my finger on it. I guess I missed the dinner table conversations. Often what we miss is the comfort—the comfort of a square meal at home.
And then it hit me. To make a livelihood, I had left a home that was full of life.
Grandma’s favourite freshly pickled veggies; mint from our little shrub, fiery Gulmohar laden streets in the summer and raw mangoes. Monsoons and gossip over chai with friends and winters of carrot puddings.
The world post covid left us all shaken and worried about our loved ones. It left us feeling grimmer. And as I sit here and write this, my home is still plagued with the invisible enemy. My heart goes out to the families displaced and those who had to lose their loved ones for no fault of theirs. Those who continue to work to provide for their families, the anonymous donors whose generous blood you now share, our frontline workers and those who continue to make us laugh every time we speak with them.
And that is all there is to it. We now hold onto every morsel of joy we find in our grim new normal. That something for me is often found in a carrot pudding in the winters, with families gathered around a kitchen table. As someone who takes immense pleasure in celebrating culture, I am delighted to share the Winter Special Carrot Pudding recipe. I truly hope it brings you joy, comfort and reminds you of home, no matter where you are or where you belong.
Ingredients:
1: Carrots 2: Nuts 3: Milk 4: Ghee 5: Cardamom
This recipe can be made in any measure; just for reference, I am using 500gm of carrots and proportionately everything else.
Recipe
- Wash and peel your carrots and grate them. Use a hand grater or put it in a food processor; either is fine.
- Now take a heavy bottom pan and add ghee 1 or 2 Tbsp, go by feeling. Add your carrots and roast them in the pan.
- In a separate smaller pan or in the over, roast your nuts till they turn slightly golden and give them a rough chop and keep it on hand for later.
- Keep stirring the carrot every once in a while. We don’t want them to burn or become dark, so when you feel that the carrots are nice and moist, add some milk, just enough to drown the carrots entirely in the milk (ideally full-fat).
- Keep stirring regularly and let it simmer down.
- When enough milk has evaporated and our mix starts getting slightly thicker, add sugar (2-3 tbsp) and ½ tsp cardamom powder (if you don’t have cardamom powder, just crush some in a mortar and pestle)
- Keep enough milk in it for the sugar to dissolve. Once the sugar is mixed in, add another little spoonful of ghee, gently stir it in and cover and cook for a few minutes.
- When it starts getting thicker and gooey, it is almost ready. Uncover, add some nuts and stir till the milk is completely gone and you are left with shiny, full-bodied carrot pudding.
Traditionally, this is served in silverware. A bowl, however, will do just fine. Top with nuts and enjoy!
For More Keto Recipes Check: Karibbean Keto Kulture