A Halwa Party in Kashmir

Halwa is pronounced Halva.
Today is a Holy Islamic Day called Urs Ajmer Sherif. This is a mosque in Ajmeer near Jaipur in Rajasthan. Today in Ajmeer it is probably 48 degrees C...about 118 degrees F. Pleased the celebration is here in the cool mountains of Kashmir today.

As I entered the large garden I saw a huge umbrella tent shading the work area.
The grass was covered in colourful mats.
A line of about 5 meters of open wood fires held three 25 gallon pots bubbling away with the Halwa mixture. There are approximately 30 women and 8 young men there to do all of the work. The older men are sitting around the garden in the shade merely as observers, waiting for the lunch to come.

Two people per pot are constantly stirring the mixture with large long handled spoons. One was quite liquid while the rest were thickening nicely. As it thickens it begins to lift from the sides of the pot. Several women and a few young men were helping with this very hot work over the open fires.
No menstrating women are allowed to take part in the proceedure.

These fellows handle the pots too. When the time is just right they lift and carry them to huge galvanized tubs where it is poured like golden lava. Here it cools enough to work with. There were women sitting smearing Halwa on a medium sized thick hard pancake called a Bagrkhan. I find them flavorless so a good base for something sweet. Others were dipping the cooling mixture into 1 cup-1 pint aluminum containers. Large pots, bowls and jugs were also being filled. A hot sticky job for sure.

The garden is permeated with the wonderful fragrance of cardamom, cinnamon, ghee (clarified butter), and saffron.
The saffron is used for colour as well as flavor. It is added to large pots of water to steep and change colour. Now it is added to the mixture.

Large glasses of cool lassi is served to everyone in the garden. This is a plain yogurt mixed into water with salt, cumin, and mint added. What a refreshing drink on a hot summers day.

The completion of this huge task will be about 12 noon, it has been going on since
6am. As large amounts are packaged the Halwa is delivered to the poor, the orphanges and the old age homes.
This event is held every year and funded by my friend Rasool. It is a family event, with his wife, daughters, with Masarat in the lead, sisters, nieces, and close friends all involved.

When the job is completed lunch is served. Today it is the traditional celebratory Kashmiri Waz Wan. There have been cooks in the back garden cooking away all morning as well. Into the house where large platters of rice topped with kebab, chicken, dumplings of lamb in yogurt, a couple of veggies, made just for me I am told, and a delicious slab of lamb ribs is served. These ribs are roasted to a crispy finish and then simmered in ghee. Talk about heart attack material. I must say it is my favorite of the meat dishes. I love pork crackling too.

Now it is time for a nap!


Now for the recipe...good luck cutting it down to a workable level!

Tools needed:
3 25 gallon pots which are filled 5 times
6 large long handled wooden spoons

Ingredients

90 kgs. of semolina
60 kgs. of ghee
180 kgs sugar
40 kgs. of dates, raisens, cashews, fried coconut
Water

Spices...
Lots of whole cardamom seeds, cinnamin, and 25 grams of Kashmiri saffron
White poppy seeds to sprinkle on the top of the finished Halwa

Cooking time:
1 hour per pot stirring constantly



Who's up for a Halwa party??????