My Food Story: ‘Desi dish’ delight
This ‘desi dish’ is a delight that our entire family enjoys.
Fara with gajar ka halwa
Ingredients
Fara (Rice flour, soaked chana dal, turmeric powder, salt, hing, coriander leaves and curry leaves) and Gajar ka halwa (Carrot, milk, ghee and some dry fruits).
Method
For Fara, soak 1/4 cup chana dal and 1/4 cup urad dal for 5-6 hours. Boil 1 cup water with 2 tbsp ghee and 1/2 tsp salt, add rice flour, and cover for 5 minutes.
Coarsely grind the dals, then mix with 2 chopped green chillies, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1/2 tsp red chilli, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, chopped coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt for the stuffing.
Knead the rice dough with ghee and a little water, divide, roll, fill with stuffing, fold, and seal. Steam the faras over boiling water for 10 minutes.
For fried faras, heat oil, add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin and a chopped green chilli. Sauté, add steamed faras, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp red chilli, coriander, and fry for 1-2 minutes.
For Gajar ka Halwa, wash, peel, and grate carrots. Heat 2-3 tbsp ghee, sauté carrots 6-7 minutes, then add 1 litre boiled full-cream milk and cook until milk evaporates and carrots soften. Add sugar and cardamom, cook until thick. Optionally, add khoya. Roast nuts and raisins in 2 tbsp ghee and mix into the halwa. Cook 2-3 more minutes until the ghee separates. Serve hot.
Pulses are more than just ingredients in Indian kitchens. They are a source of protein, nutrition, and a deep connection to family traditions. On World Pulses Day, we celebrate not just the health benefits of these humble legumes, but the memories, stories, and love that people pour into pulse-based recipes passed down through generations.
My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Join us as we showcase the recipes shared with us by the participants of a recently concluded recipe contest on winter dishes.
Amita is a home maker from Uttar Pradesh