Carrot corner

Milk and bread pudding can be an accompaniment and play second fiddle to a glitzy dessert or be pressed into service as a filling, healthy snack to children addicted to junk food

THERE are some remembered delicacies, much beloved, that are fast fading away into a sad sunset. One fears that unless one takes urgent conservationist steps, these may be lost for ever. Just as winter was receding and a slight hint of approaching spring could be felt in the air, a friend’s mother let us sip, as an appetiser, some homemade kanji prepared with kali gajar. It had a tantalising taste — blending pleasant pungency of mustard that had been scented beautifully by fermentation, a touch of aromatic asafoetida, black rock salt.

We asked for another glassful and had a great time dredging out the pieces of rather rare dark-skinned carrot resting peacefully at the bottom. We felt more than a twinge of pain when realisation dawned that we had none of this kanji to keep us in this innocently inebriated state.

We also recalled with a sense of injury that Aslam miyan, an old friend from Faizabad, once the capital of Awadh, hadn’t sent his annual hamper of winter goodies that included a large portion of the rich kali gajar ka halwa. But let’s not keep complaining but rejoice in what we have. We knew we didn’t have time this season to mature our kanji, so we settled for kanji-flavoured gajar ki sabzi. We proudly share the recipe with our readers.

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