Who doesn’t like a vegetable disguised as a dessert? Gulalai’s
Halwa (literally translated “sweets”) is light enough to serve during the  spring or summer or would be an excellent alternative to traditional fall and winter desserts.  

Serves 6




2 pounds baby carrots (organic or the brightest orange carrots available)
1/2 cup fresh whole almonds, with skins 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
5-6 pods green cardamom (adjust according to taste)
1/2 cup sugar 
1 cup whole milk
Pistachio nuts for garnish (optional)

Cook carrots over stove or in microwave until soft. Mash with a fork. Set aside. 

Meanwhile, blanch almonds by placing in a bowl of boiled water, enough to just cover almonds. Soak for about 1 minute (too much longer and the almonds will lose their crispness). Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain
again. Pat dry, slip skins off, and halve. Set aside in bowl. 
 
Heat oil in large wok or saucepan until it sizzles. Add cardamom. Make sure several pods are open to expose seeds. Lightly toast the cardamom, stirring to avoid sticking. Add carrot pulp. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring, until carrots reduce to about half of the original quantity and change to a darker orange color, about 15 – 20
minutes. Add sugar and allow to dissolve completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk and almonds together. Cook for about 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until milk has been fully absorbed and the oil begins to separate from the solid ingredients. (Make sure not to overcook the halwa in this last stage or it won’t be as tasty.)

Transfer to serving bowl and top with pistachios for color contrast and extra crunch.     

NOTES:
For a shortcut, use 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk as substitute for milk and sugar.

Gulalai prefers buying almonds (with skins) and blanching them herself for fresher taste. 

 

 
 

Meet Dr. Gulalai Wali Khan from Pakistan.

On August 9, 2010, Dr. Gulalai Wali Khan was leaving her health clinic in the crowded Karachi Market in Khyber Bazaar when a gunman on motorcycle fired three bullets at her, one of which hit her in the arm. How the gunman, at such close range, managed not to kill her is a mystery. 
 
What wasn’t a mystery is why Gulalai was targeted. 

Just a day after she was shot, the Taliban issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The reason?  One simple word: bloodlines.

Gulalai grew up in a prosperous political family in Peshawar, a valley region near the Pak-Afghan border. Gulalai’s grandfather was Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as the “Frontier Gandhi” for his non-violent opposition to British Rule and close friendship to Mohandas Gandhi. Gulalai’s father, President of the Awami National Party (a leftist, secular party), spent eight years in jails.   

Gulalai’s brother, also a politician, was President of the Awami National Party (ANP) at the time Gulalai was attacked. The ANP, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, publically opposed the Taliban. Consequently, the Taliban began targeting first the party’s members, then its members’ blood relations.

Gulalai made the decision to leave everything behind to keep her children safe. “I worked three quarters of my life working toward a career that really mattered to me, and yet it took me a split second to walk away when the decision came down to my career or motherhood.”

Read more about Gulalai’s clandestine escape from Pakistan with her three sons and her views on the practice of medicine in America in Flavors from Home.