ROSEWATER CARROT AND CARDAMOM PUDDING - HALWA E ZARDAK

By Katie

When it comes to food, I like a theme. The first time I invited my now husband over to my apartment was foran ice cream social.That was soon followed by a “tacky party” which featured fruity cocktails and “candy kabobs” on miniature colored skewers all of which I served wearing a baby blue terry cloth tube top.

So I had a hard time when Humaira sent this halwa recipe my way with instructions to adapt it to the slow cooker. It didn’t fit any of my notions of dessert. It’s sweet like dessert, but it’s got enough carrots to qualify as a salad. And although we’re calling it pudding, that’s just because we don’t know what else to call it. It’s not creamy like a pudding, but it’s not a cake either. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever eaten before. But it is worth eating:  gently flavored with cardamom and rosewater, warm, rich and satisfying.

Afghan halwa is related to halva, a sweet popular in India, the Near East and other parts of Central Asia. It is most commonly made not with carrots but with rice, wheat or semolina flour similar to this Afghan recipe here. I imagine it could be made with other sweet, hearty vegetables such as butternut squash and beets. Humaira says it’s delicious with apples. Like all desserts in Afghanistan, halwa is strictly a special occasion dish, a luxury for sure.

By conventional method, carrot halwa is prepared by combining grated carrots, milk, cream, butter and sugar (what’s not to like?) in a pot and letting it gently bubble away until the liquid absorbs and the carrot is tender. It’s topped with toasted pistachios or almonds.   The recipe definitely requires some attention so if you have neither the time nor the patience, the slow cooker is a fine substitute. The texture is slightly different, but the flavor is just as good.If you like, feel free to add a ½ cup of dried currants or golden raisins to the halwa when it is done.

After making this recipe a few times, and eating more than my fair share, I’ve found my theme. It’s the perfect sort of thing to share with a friend over a cup of tea in the afternoon. Homey, warm, pleasing, nourishing, wholesome:a heck of a lot better than a candy kabob.

Recipe by Humaira

Rosewater and Cardamom Flavored Carrot Pudding

Halwa e Zardak

½ stick unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar (or ½ cup honey)

1 1/4 cups whole milk

½ cup whipping cream

pinch of salt

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. rosewater or vanilla

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pistachios, almonds or walnuts

Melt the butter and sugar (or honey) together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring from time to time.You can also do this in the microwave.Pour the melted butter/sugar into the slow cooker and add the milk, cream, salt, cardamom and rosewater.Stir well.Add the grated carrots and stir again.Cook on low for 6 hours.

Stir well and serve warm or at room temperature with toasted nuts sprinkled over the top.

Serves 6 - 8

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EID MUBARAK - A CELEBRATION OF MUSLIM HOLIDAY

by Humaira

Eid al Fitr or Eid e Ramazan as it is called in Afghanistan is the end of the month of fasting. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sun down. They are encouraged to participate in pious activities such as charitable giving and peace-making.  Ramadan is most difficult on summer days when the daylight hours are long.

EidElFitrCalm

What I love about Ramadan is that it is time for introspection and spiritual renewal for those who observe it.  

To celebrate, at the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world observe a  three-day celebration which in some places is called Festival of Fast-Breaking. I tell my non-Muslim friends that it is Christmas for Muslims.  

A big feast is part of every Eid celebration

When we lived in Afghanistan, Jeja (my mom) prepared for Eid holiday by purchasing sweets, cleaning the house and having new clothes made for us. The immigrant life has made Eid celebration less festive but, Jeja still makes a feast on the first day of Eid.  

Prior to the first day of Eid, Muslims give alms to less fortunate families so they too can celebrate the holiday with their families. The alms consist of practical things such as, money, rice, sugar, oil, dates, rice, etc. 

As a little girl I loved Eid

Most Muslims attend Eid prayers at their local mosque but after the prayer, they visit family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and they practice forgiveness by mending broken friendship. 

Sweet delights

Before the wars, before my family members became scattered around world, and before the world looked at Muslims suspiciously, my family celebrated Eid by spending the first day at my grandfather's house.  We played with our cousins, ate sweets and received Eidi (money gifts) from our relatives.  At the end of the day we measured our money pile to see who got the most Eidi.  

Women shopping for Eid outfit

In Muslim countries the entire 3-day period is an official holiday.  I wish you and your family "Eid Mubarak" and wonderful celebration.  I am with Jeja who now lives in Los Angeles.  We are heading to my aunt's for an Eid celbration.

Sweets are a big part of Eid holiday 

Lining up for Eid prayer

Children donning their best outfit

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BEST LUNCH BOX EVER - COOKBOOK

By Humaira

Katie Sullivan Morford, the co-founder of this blog just released her first book,  Best Lunch Box Ever, published by Chronicle Books.  Besides being an excellent writer, Katie is a certified nutritionist.  Her book is packed with healthy, easy and delicious lunch box ideas.  Best Lunch Box Ever is beautifully designed with gorgeous photos and easy to follow layout.  It is so easy that I gave a copy to my 13-year old daughter who is the chief lunch maker at our house.

One of my favorite recipes is the Perfect Date on page 60.  It has six simple ingredients: whole-wheat lavash, whipped cream, dates, celery and baby spinach.  As Katie suggests, most of her recipes are sophisticated enough for an adult’s lunch box too.

Best Lunch Box Ever_The Perfect Date

The Perfect Date, recipe on page 60

Three years ago Katie followed her bliss and went back to writing about how to nurture healthy eating in children.  Although I miss working with her on Afghan Culture Unveiled, I am very proud of her accomplishments.  She has a very popular food blog, she was tapped to write this book more interestingly, she develops recipes and cooking videos on back-to-school meals for Pottery Barn Kids.  I am thrilled to share this conversation with Katie Sullivan Morford followed by a recipe she chose from her new book.

Humaira Ghilzai of Afghan Culture Unveiled interviews

Katie Sullivan Morford, author of Best Lunch Box Ever:

Humaira:  Tell us what you have been doing since you stopped blogging with Afghan Culture Unveiled?

Katie: I started a blog called Mom's Kitchen Handbook, which brings together my interest in food with my expertise as a registered dietitian and my experience as a mother of three. I write about food and family with the goal of inspiring parents with easy recipes and practical advice on feeding their kids.

Humaira: Afghan Culture Unveiled is read by people in India, Latin America, Europe and of course the US.  What are three top things parents around the world can do to give their children the most nutritious meals?

Katie:

1.  Number one is to eat together as a family as much as possible. Kids who eat with their families tend to eat healthier and overall be happier and more successful in school than kids who don't.

2. Eat whole foods with less reliance on packaged goods. Beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurt, eggs, and so on, should be the foundation of our diets, not what's inside of a box with 30 ingredients.

3. Teach your children to cook. It will increase their interest in eating good food and give them the tools to nourish themselves once they're grown. I imagine that families in many parts of the world do a much better job of these three things than we do here in the States. 

Humaira:  Were any of your recipes in Best Lunch Box Ever influenced by your experience with Afghan food?

Katie: There is a lot of yogurt in the book, which is something I really got hooked on when I was focused on Afghan cooking. I also use flatbread in a number of recipes such as pita and lavash, which is very much a part of Afghan cuisine. 

Humaira: Do you still make Afghan food? If yes, what are your family's favorite dishes?

Katie: I really crave Afghan food and I do continue to cook it at home. My favorite remains

but I probably cook Sabzi more than anything else. I love to make a big batch of that and

have it for lunches with, of course, yogurt and flat bread.

Best Lunch Box Ever_Teriyaki Fried Rice

TERIYAKI Fried Rice from Best Lunch Box Ever Book

WARM AND NOURISHING, this

panfried rice is a brown-bag favorite. The dish starts with a couple of

scrambled eggs to which rice, edamame, and seasonings are added. If you happen

to be making eggs for breakfast, it’s just a few extra steps to make this

savory lunch dish. Naturally, brown rice is more nutritious than white.

Leftover farro or barley make tasty substitutions.

MAKES 2 TO 3 SERVINGS

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice

1/2 cup cooked shelled edamame

1 tablespoon teriyaki

sauce

1. In a medium skillet, heat the

2. sesame oil over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble until just cooked. Add

3. the green onions, cooked rice, edamame, and teriyaki sauce, and cook, stirring

4. often, until everything is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

1. Divide the fried rice between two

2. or three thermoses.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES: can be

made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. In the morning before school,

warm up and pack into the thermoses.

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.