Carrot Halwa: Some food is meant only to fill the stomach and some food has emotions attached to it, such as carrot halwa. Halwa is as delicious to eat as it sounds. Especially carrot halwa. Hardly anyone has not eaten carrot halwa in winter. In carrot halwa, the taste of carrot halwa increases manifold by adding plenty of milk along with dry fruits, cream and ghee.
But have you ever wondered how carrot halwa is prepared and where it comes from? So let us lift another curtain from the platform of flavors and know how carrot halwa came into existence and also know how many other types of halwa are made in India.
History of Halwa
Haleem Sharar, a writer and historian from Lucknow, has told in his book ‘Gujishta Lucknow’ that Halwa came to Persia via Arabia and from there to India. Chicago historian Colleen Taylor has told in her book ‘Feasts and Fasts’ that Halwa came to the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of Mohammad bin Tughlaq between the 13th and 16th centuries.
First recipe of Halwa
According to historians, the first recipe of Halwa is found in the Arabic book ‘Kitab al-Tabikh’ (Book of Recipes) written by Muhammad Ibn Al Hasan Ibn Al Karim. In which 8 different recipes of halwa are mentioned. In Arabic ‘Halwa’ means sweet or dish. Even in the subcontinent, it has had such an impact that sweets sellers started being called ‘Halwai’.
It is called Halwa in Egypt, Halwa in Greece, Halwa in Hebrew, Hilwa in Arabic, Helva in Turkish and Halwa in Sanskrit. Apart from India, Halwa is very much liked in the neighboring Arab countries.
Halwa from Mughals Discovery of Mughals
After the Delhi Sultanate, when the Mughals came to rule in India, the food culture developed extensively. Experiments were done by adding carrots to various types of halwa in sweets. It was during the Mughal period that carrots came to India along with watermelon, pomegranate and grapes.
When carrots were cooked with milk, sugar and khoya, carrot halwa was formed. Gajrela also became popular with this name in Punjab, which is called a traditional sweet there.
Diversity of Halwa in India
There was continuous experimentation with halwa in India and the creative people here did not stop at just carrot or moong halwa.
Apart from semolina, flour and carrot halwa, in the Indian kitchen, ‘Green Chilli Halwa’ from Pune, ‘Cholar Dal Halwa’ from West Bengal, ‘Egg Halwa’ from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, ‘Kashi Halwa’ (white pumpkin Ka Halwa), many types of Halwa like ‘Karutha Halwa’ from Kerala are popular which is very much liked all over India.
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