Carrot Halva with pistachios - Anticipation & the joy of Eid

This carrot halva recipe was the winning recipe for  The Guardian COOK supplement 14 Sept 2013, UK picked by Felicity Cloake The 29th Roza (fast). A night of  such mixed emotions. Anticipation, excitement and joy all rolled into one. The much awaited 'siren' after the sighting of the moon - knowing that it's Eid tomorrow, was filled with an anxious desire to head out on the streets to rejoice 'Chand Raat' (night of the moon) -  with pretty glass bangles in sight, henna designs on our hands and a late night Nihari, Kebab Roll or Dooth ki Bootal (cold milk drink with nuts and poppy seeds)...Of course any Ramadan that ended with 30 day fasts never held the same anticipation, as we knew for certain that Eid was the next day. But there way always something quite special about that surprise of Eid at the eve of the 30th of Ramadan. Like receiving a present you are expecting, just at an unexpected time.We would head out to the heaving bazaars, with festive lights on every building, the streets alive with happy chatter, honking cars and a general energy of excitement and urgency. With glee in our eyes and money in our pockets, food wasn't what was on our minds. It was the anxiousness of beautiful new outfits and bangles to match, the sweet earthy essence of fresh intricate henna patterns on our hands and a day ahead that would be filled with special treats, and of course - Eidee! We don't have a traditional of Christmas like gift exchanges. We have something I think is even better. Younger ones (that includes you even if you are 50!), receive tiny floral envelopes with crisp Rupee notes slid into them by known and unknown relatives, both close and distant - these would be religously collected and an Eidee fund would be made. Cousins would sit together at the end of a family dinner and compare who made more. There was something rather fulfilling and satisfying about buying an item from your wish list with you Eidee. This is one tradition no one ever grows old enough to let go off. I remember well, my mother pulling out her hand rather shamelessly in front from my grandmother, demanding her obligatory Eidee even at age X! Eid to me will always remind me of my early morning Eid prayers at home with my mother, as my father would go to the mosque - waking up to the aromas of cloves and cardamom wafting through the kitchen into my bedroom - to be awoken by my excited parents, warning me that the only way I was going to receive my generous Eidee would be if I was dressed and ready for breakfast. This was no pajama weekend morning for me...The day would  begin with picking on my mother's lavish array of Eid goodies at the guest table, as we would be expecting family to drop in later to wish Eid Mubarak - I would salivate only to be given a morsel of each dish.....But I was never disheartened, I knew that the day would continue with breakfast with my Nani (maternal gran)  and lunch with my Dadi (paternal gran) - everything would revolve around food, hugs, family togetherness and a celebration after a blessed month of abstinence and contemplation.Nothing quite reminds me more of Eid than the bright ruby red carrot halva my Dadi would make - infused with cloves and cardamom, a concept  of sweet vegetables don't swallow well with many people in the west, but the truth is there isn't anything Pakistani don't make into a Halva, and carrot is just a very tame ingredients compared to others such as bitter gourd, aloe vera, egg and many lentils! Here I have created using my family carrot halva recipe, my own version of an age old family recipe - with the addition of pistachios and coconut. Both ingredients hold a special place in my heart, as they remind me of home.For me the quintessential aroma and memory of joyful, carefree and exciting Eid days is the scent of sweet carrots cooking on the stove with the clinking of glass bangles as I would move with pride through the kitchen of my grandmother's house, adorned with my wonderfully detailed and glittery new outfit, ever sequinned sandals and henna drenched hands - I would help lay the table for the much awaited Eid lunch. What makes me the happiest is that, even though my daughter isn't growing up in Pakistan like I did, she understands the joy of Eid and celebrates it with the fervour I did as a child.Eid to me is a moment of thankfulness - for the food we receive and the loved ones in our lives. This recipe to me is only as perfect as the love it's made with.

• 500 g carrots, peeled and grated
• 400 ml double cream
• 100 ml fresh milk
• 100 g caster sugar
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp roughly ground pistachios
• to garnish - coconut, pistachios, silver leaf (optional)
• red food colour (optional)

Method:1. Boil the milk and cream together, add the grated carrots, cloves and cardamom seeds. Cook on low heat and keep stirring occasionally and keep an eye on the pan. Cook this until the milk/cream gets absorbed into the carrot (takes about 25-30 minutes on medium low heat). Now add the sugar and keep stirring until it is all mixed in well. Add the coconut and ground pistachios.2. Once the halva is thick, deep red (you could add a little red food colour if the carrots are a bit pale) and all the cream/milk and sugar is absorbed, pour into a serving dish, decorate and either serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream or serve cold.