CARROT HALWA (GAJAR KA HALWA)

Carrot halwa (gajar ka halwa) is the popular dessert of North India. It tastes great when made with reddish carrots which are softer and sweeter than the orange variety and are usually available in winter.

Ingredients

1. Carrot (grated) – 1 kg
2. Milk – 2 ½ cups
3. Whole milk cream – ¾ - 1 cup
4. Sugar – 2 cups
5. Cardamom powder – 1 ½ - 2 tsp
6. Cashews, raisins – 1 ½ tbsp each
7. Ghee – 1 tbsp
8. Slivered almonds – 1 tbsp (optional)

                                      

                                     

                                      

                                      

Method

1. Wash the carrots and scrape them.
2. Grate the carrots.
3. Transfer the grated carrots to a big kadhai or non-stick pan.
4. Add milk and cook covered on a medium-high flame.
5. When the milk has almost evaporated, and the carrots are semi cooked, add sugar and stir well.
6. Continue to cook on medium flame till the water has evaporated.
7. Add whole milk cream (malai) and stir well.
8. Continue to cook on low flame, stirring in between – for 10 - 15 minutes till the cream has melted and blended with the carrots – and ghee starts separating, and the halwa becomes dry and chewy.
9. Add cardamom powder and stir.
10. Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the halved cashews till golden brown and set aside.
11. Next fry the raisins in the same oil till they puff up and set aside.
12. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins and slivered almonds.

Tips

1. You can collect cream at home over a couple of days – from a total of 4-5 liters of whole milk. Boil 1 ½ liters of whole milk every day and put it in the fridge after cooling. Collect the thick cream collecting at the top and store in the fridge. Repeat for 3 days and use the collected cream for making the halwa. So the only hitch is you have to plan in advance! 
2. Ghee can be used instead of cream but personally I feel the cream makes the halwa more 'chik-chik-chewy'.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.