Flash Gaajar Halva

The traditional version of this recipe involves large quantities of dairy, huge tubs of sugar, and ages of time spent in boiling, reducing, and stirring, along with plenty of anxiety about not burning the whole mess. This version takes about ten minutes or so. My friends Anjali and Rehmah were at my house, eating lunch. Someone mentioned sweets of some sort, and Rehmah instantly got a craving for some kind of sweet. I didn't have much else in the house, so I knocked this version out very quickly, both to calm Rehmah's cravings, and to make sure that Anjali got to taste some too (as she was about to head out for a hot date that night).

The name was not my idea. It was Rehmah's.

For the record, you had a Pakistani lady (Rehmah) and a Punjabi lady (Anjali) who loved how the dish turned out. That's how I knew it was a keeper.

1 pound carrots, grated
1 TB neutral flavoured oil (peanut, canola, corn)
2 cardamom pods, crushed
3 TB granulated sugar
1 1/2 TB cornstarch
2 cups coconut milk

In a pot, combine the carrots, oil, and cardamom. Sautee the carrots over high heat, until they are softened. While the carrots cook, whisk together the cornstarch and the coconut milk.

Once the carrots are softened, add the sugar, and stir it through. The sugar will melt rather quickly, and get caramelised. The carrots will turn a slightly darker colour too. This is what you want to happen, so don't worry when it happens.

Once the sugar is caramelised and lightly browned, add the coconut milk and cornstarch mixture. Bring the liquid to a full rushing boil, and continue to boil for one minute with constant stirring. Turn off the heat, and allow to cool down to room temperature before serving.

Sweets

Sweet Plantains

My mother is visiting with my sister in Connecticut. They found this lovely little wholesale market that's open on Saturdays, where they can get quite a lot of produce for very reasonable prices. It's funny, because my mother was originally bitterly complaining that she was spending a fortune on food up there, and that she didn't know what she was going to do without getting stuff for reasonable prices. What's so funny about that?

Regardless of where in the world our life has taken us, my mother has consistently found food to be an easy thing to come by. She'll stay there for a short time, and suddenly find all the places where the stuff is the cheapest, and most plentiful. I'm not talking about a few sales here and there; I'm talking about my mother going into a new place, and almost hearing the places where food is least costly call out to her. "Eat me! Please, eat me!" So, she finds the nearest person to go with her, and returns with a bounty to make the Queen's table blush with shame!

I don't speak of exceptions to the rule. With my mother, this is the rule. Without fail. Every single time. In fact, the more she gives away at random, the more stuff comes in. She had taken to feeding their neighbours with the stuff they found on sale, and suddenly, along comes the wholesale marketplace. She was in heaven!

But we digress, don't we? You want to know about the plantains, and I promise not to keep you waiting any longer. You have a couple of options for this dish. If you prefer not to use nonstick cooking spray, feel free to rub the plantains with (neutral flavoured) oil on both sides. It will probably come out even better! If you'd prefer not to use fat at all, please rub on a tiny bit of molasses onto the plantains. We're looking to get some colour on them!

5 large, ripe plantains, peeled, and halved lengthwise
non stick cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 350°F

On a baking sheet, lay down a sheet of parchment (not wax!) paper, or foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lay down your plantain halves, face down (so that the flat side sits atop the sheet). Spray a bit of cooking spray onto the back side of the plantains.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or so. In the last fifteen minutes of cooking, check on your plantains to ensure that they aren't burning. Check them again every five minutes or so, until they are browned to your liking.

If you'd like them even more brown, set them under a high broiler for about a minute at a time, until they're browned to your liking.

Delicious all by itself, or served with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.