Seasonal sweets made out of fruits and vegetables are a must in Indian households.
My family and I too love the Gajjar Halwa I often make when carrots are in season and cost appr. Rs. 20 per Kg. ( that is about 30c for 2.2 lbs!! - Imagine) and some milk is left over.
In India we get 2 types of carrots - one is a transparent-type pink color, large, juicy and sweet. The other is orange-red, smooth and hard looking, a bit dry when grated and taste a bit more starchy then the other variety. I prefer the juicy ones for Halwa. Also buy healthiest looking ones.
I prefer Gur or Jaggery that tastes better and has a nice aroma also. Gur is supposed to be less harmful than white sugar and I buy organic gur - the label claims that no chemicals have been used.
Cardamom powder is made by lightly roasting green cardamom ( say 50g or 100g), grind to a very fine powder in a mixer with some sugar (1/2 to 1 cup) and sieved with the finest sieve. Store in an airtight container. The chaff left over in the sieve can be mixed with tea leaves and stored and used while making tea. I use this cardamom powder generously ( not a pinch as they say in recipes) .
Ingredients:
1 Kg juicy pink Indian Gajar
1/2 Lt Milk ( Any - cow milk/low fat preferred)
Jaggery/Gur - about 400g. less than 1/2 Kg as per taste
2 tbsp ghee
1 cup crushed nuts - cashew , almonds, walnut
1 tsp. Elaichi (Cardomom ) powder
1/2 cup raisins
Method
1) Clean, remove skin and coarse grate carrot.
2) Put the grated carrot in milk and cook partly covered on low flame for about 10 to 15 min. The carrots should be tender but not over cooked nor mushy. Do not put too much milk else cooking time increases and the carrots become mushy , over cooked and loose their flavor and taste. Also do not use water.
3) Microwave gur/jaggery for 2 to 3 min. in a glass bowl till it becomes a thick syrup and fills the air with a lovely aroma. Do not use water. BE very alert - otherwise the gur chars when heated beyond a point. Check often.
4) Add the gur to cooked carrot, add 1 tbsp ghee and cook stirring constantly till the mixture is almost dry . Don't over cook then the Halwa is dry to taste. Stop heat. Halwa is ready. The Halwa should be tender, juicy with the nice flavor of Milk .
5) Now Garnish Halwa with nuts . Heat 1 tbsp. ghee, put the nuts , roast a bit, then add raisins and roast till raisins become puffed up full blown.
6) Add ghee-nut mixture to Gajar Halwa , add a generous sprinkling of cardamom powder
7) Stir well. Serve hot.
8) The Halwa can keep for 3 to 4 days in Fridge . Microwave for 20 to 30 sec. before serving. The raisins and nuts blend more and more with the Halwa over time.
My family and I too love the Gajjar Halwa I often make when carrots are in season and cost appr. Rs. 20 per Kg. ( that is about 30c for 2.2 lbs!! - Imagine) and some milk is left over.
In India we get 2 types of carrots - one is a transparent-type pink color, large, juicy and sweet. The other is orange-red, smooth and hard looking, a bit dry when grated and taste a bit more starchy then the other variety. I prefer the juicy ones for Halwa. Also buy healthiest looking ones.
I prefer Gur or Jaggery that tastes better and has a nice aroma also. Gur is supposed to be less harmful than white sugar and I buy organic gur - the label claims that no chemicals have been used.
Cardamom powder is made by lightly roasting green cardamom ( say 50g or 100g), grind to a very fine powder in a mixer with some sugar (1/2 to 1 cup) and sieved with the finest sieve. Store in an airtight container. The chaff left over in the sieve can be mixed with tea leaves and stored and used while making tea. I use this cardamom powder generously ( not a pinch as they say in recipes) .
Ingredients:
1 Kg juicy pink Indian Gajar
1/2 Lt Milk ( Any - cow milk/low fat preferred)
Jaggery/Gur - about 400g. less than 1/2 Kg as per taste
2 tbsp ghee
1 cup crushed nuts - cashew , almonds, walnut
1 tsp. Elaichi (Cardomom ) powder
1/2 cup raisins
Method
1) Clean, remove skin and coarse grate carrot.
2) Put the grated carrot in milk and cook partly covered on low flame for about 10 to 15 min. The carrots should be tender but not over cooked nor mushy. Do not put too much milk else cooking time increases and the carrots become mushy , over cooked and loose their flavor and taste. Also do not use water.
3) Microwave gur/jaggery for 2 to 3 min. in a glass bowl till it becomes a thick syrup and fills the air with a lovely aroma. Do not use water. BE very alert - otherwise the gur chars when heated beyond a point. Check often.
4) Add the gur to cooked carrot, add 1 tbsp ghee and cook stirring constantly till the mixture is almost dry . Don't over cook then the Halwa is dry to taste. Stop heat. Halwa is ready. The Halwa should be tender, juicy with the nice flavor of Milk .
5) Now Garnish Halwa with nuts . Heat 1 tbsp. ghee, put the nuts , roast a bit, then add raisins and roast till raisins become puffed up full blown.
6) Add ghee-nut mixture to Gajar Halwa , add a generous sprinkling of cardamom powder
7) Stir well. Serve hot.
8) The Halwa can keep for 3 to 4 days in Fridge . Microwave for 20 to 30 sec. before serving. The raisins and nuts blend more and more with the Halwa over time.
