Carrot halwa is a carrot-based sweet dessert pudding from the Indian subcontinent. It is made by placing grated carrots in a pot containing a specific amount of water, milk and sugar and then cooking while stirring regularly. It is often served with a garnish of almonds and pistachios. The nuts and other items used are first sautéed in ghee, a type of clarified butter from the Indian subcontinent. Carrot halwa is a slow cooked traditional Indian pudding made by simmering carrots with milk. This immensely popular and super delicious classic INDIAN SWEET is pretty much served at every feast in India. Be it a wedding, party or any other celebration this is always seen on the menu & never fails to impress people. Carrot halwa is also known as gajar ka halwa or gajrela. Gajar is the Hindi word for carrots and halwa is a pudding like dish.
Most Indian households make this gajar halwa during the winters as CARROTS are in full season. In North India it is made with Delhi gajar (red carrots).
Traditionally carrot halwa was made only with full fat milk and no processed ingredients like condensed milk, evaporated milk or khoya was used. Let jump and check out the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
Carrot- 650 grams
Milk- 4 cups
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Sugar- 12 tbsp or as required
Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
Dry fruits- few (Chopped cashews and badam, whole raisins)
PROCEDURE:
1. First rinse, peel carrots and grate it
2. In a heavy kadai, add all of the grated carrots. Pour 4 cups full-fat milk. Switch on the burner. Mix the grated carrots and milk together.
3. Cook this mixture on a low to medium flame. After some minutes, the milk will begin to froth first and then start reducing slowly.
4. Keep on stirring this halwa mixture often. Keep scraping the sides of the kadai to remove the evaporated milk solids. Add the milk solids to the cooking mixture. simmer carrots in milk and stir also at intervals, so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Cook the carrot and milk mixture until the milk is reduced by 75%
6. Then add ghee (clarified butter). Do note that some milk will be there when you add the ghee. Mix very well.
7. Add sugar, cardamom powder and Mix very well
8. Continue to simmer on a low flame. Do stir often. Simmer till the halwa mixture starts to thicken and reduces more. Stir at intervals.
9. When the halwa has reduced much and you see a little milk – like that of a pudding consistency. Then add nuts and dry fruits. Mix again and continue to stir and simmer.
10. Simmer till the whole halwa mixture becomes dry. The milk should evaporate completely, and you will see fine milk solids in the carrot halwa. You will also see some ghee being released from the sides. Remember to scrape the milk solids stuck at the sides of the kadai or pan and add them to the Carrot halwa. Some moisture is also fine in the halwa.
11. Serve Carrot halwa hot or warm. Garnish with some chopped dry fruits while serving.
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