Chanay Ke Daal Ka Halwa is my absolute favourite dessert.
I fell in love with it some decades ago when my little self used to stand in the corner of our home terrace, devouring a plate of Chanay Ke Daal Ka Halwa, unaware of the peeping auntie from the house next door.
Yes, I was a fat, chubby if one wants to be kind, little kid, always ready to sneak Chanay Ke Daal or Gajar Ka Halwa.
I remember my anticipation and excitement on noticing that Ami was getting ready for a siesta, and Jalal, our telltale cook, had closed his kitchen too. That translated into me gliding to the freezer, stealing a small frozen portion of Halwa and heating it to edible perfection in the January of Karachi.
Yes, it was the early 80s and I was a pre-teen. This was my afternoon romance with Halwa, and it lasted for just a season, and the reason?
Shamshad Auntie’s Chinese whispers to Ami.
Delightfully delicious, that’s the only way to describe Chanay Ke Daal Ka Halwa. Who thought of adding sugar, milk and ghee to ground chanay ke daal, simmering it until the milk evaporates and serving it as a delectable dessert?