Journalism of Courage
As the days get chilly,the yearning for gajar ka halwa increases,but the sales have been rudely interrupted by the rise in price of vegetables
Indian desserts are known for their rich taste and variety. Be it any season,any place,our meals remain incomplete without some Mithai – gulab jamun,kheer,sandesh,shrikhand,rasmalai,rassgulla the list seems endless. But most of these cannot be made at home. Step in,halwa. This heavy,thick sweet dish is a favourite at all times,but becomes especially beloved during the cold winter months.
Gajar ka halwa,as the name suggests,is prepared with grated carrots and milk. This mouth-watering sweet dish is popular in most states of the country. The recipe is simple and contains no added colours. Asif Dilliwala,Dilliwala Dairy and Sweets says,We keep the halwa simple and go with the normal recipe. We don’t add colour or any other ingredient. As gajar ka halwa is prepared in most houses,we get orders when there is a function.
S Karpagam,a home-maker,says,Gajar ka halwa is something that is easy to prepare at home,indeed,it is actually a fun-process to prepare it. The best part is,if all the ingredients are there,then one can cook it easily at any time. However,she doesn’t like to buy the sweet in shops. When I make it,I put a lot of dry fruits into the concoction,which shops usually do not do.
Sanjay Chitale of Chitale Bandhu says,Gajar ka halwa is in demand mainly in the winter season,since the carrot is a winter vegetable. It has always been popular during festive times. It is liked by one and all. Moong dal halwa,he adds,is available throughout the year.
Winter brings in a large produce of carrots,which aids in the meeting of the demand of this sweet dish everywhere. With the carrots being fresh,it gives a good taste and a certain quality to the dish. Mangilal Choudhari,the owner of Mithas Delicious Sweets,Aundh says,Summers see a drop in the demand of gajar ka halwa. Hiralal Rathod,Bikaner Sweet Home,Satara road says,Winter season is the peak time. There’s a great demand for this sweet dish at our shop. The price rise has shown no bad effect on the number of customers at our shop.
Meena Barve,an advocate feels that it is more hygienic to prepare at home. It is more economical to prepare this at home,rather than buying it at shops. Plus,the taste of the home-cooked one is always different from the one bought outside,which may sometimes even contain food-colouring.
When asked about the effect of the recent rise in the price of vegetables on the supply of the sweet dish,he merely says,We have had no other option but to increase our own prices. Ramlal Chaudhari,owner of Mamata Sweets,Shivajinagar,says,In December and January,customers ask for gajar ka halwa. The demand is the most in these two months. But because of the rise in price,the demand has dropped. We’ve increased the rates,which has had a negative impact on the sale of this sweet. He also adds that there are few customers who’ve always gone by the taste and don’t think much about the increased rates. Though the price rise has popped it’s ugly head in the market,people still prefer to stick to these delicious sweets.
