Indian winters vary in strength widely across different parts of the Til Laddoo country. But for a country obsessed with sweets, delicacies made with winter vegetables and spices are a must-savour.

Gajar Ka Halwa

You’ll need:

• 1/2kg carrots
• 1/2l full fat milk
• 60g ghee
• 1 tsp freshly ground cardamom powder
• 120g sugar
• 125g khoya
• Almond and pistachio slivers For
garnishing

How to prepare:

• Wash and peel the carrots; grate them in medium-thick slivers.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, cook the carrots and milk together on low heat, until all the milk is absorbed.
• Add ghee and cardamom powder.
• Stir fry for a few minutes on low heat.
• Keep stirring, and add sugar.
• Grate the khoya and add to pan, cooking until the ghee starts to leave the sides. Stir and cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
• Remove from heat, and garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.
• Serve warm.

Til Laddoo

You’ll need:

• 1 cup toasted white sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup softened khoya
• 1/2 cup jaggery, crumbled
• A pinch of saffron
• 2 tsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 2 tbsp warm milk

How to prepare:

• Add vegetable oil or ghee to a hot, thick bottomed pan.
• Add sesame seeds and stir till they turn a pale gold in colour.
• Remove from the flame and transfer the seeds to a flat dish.
• Soak saffron in warm milk.
• Melt jaggery in the same thick-bottomed pan used to roast sesame seeds.
• Keep stirring, ensuring that it does not reduce too much.