Gajar Ka Halwa
2015-01-27- Cuisine: Indian
- Course: Sweet Dishes
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Yield : 1 Kg
- Servings : 8
- Prep Time : 15m
- Cook Time : 60m
- Ready In : 1:15 h
I always add a few extra Cashews and Raisins as garnish when I serve Gajar Ka Halwa to Tarique. He had once told me that as a child whenever he use to ask for more cashews to be put in his bowl he was told that they will be given next time. I still don’t let him hog on the halwa given his his heart condition but I do put in the extra garnish to the small portion which he dutifully adheres too…
The Gajar Ka Halwa that I make takes a lot of time but tastes different. I follow a traditional recipe, however I do not use Khoya (readymade sweet milk solids) instead I boil the carrots in milk and let the water from milk and carrots evaporate before adding more ghee for frying.
Trivia
The Gajar ka Halwa was first introduced during the Mughal period and the name originates from an Arabic word “Halwa”, which means “sweet” and it is made from carrot (in Hindi: Gajar) so that it is known as Gajar ka Halwa (meaning pudding of carrot or Halwa of carrot). It is strongly associated with Punjab but it is not clear it originated there. The Gajar Ka Halwa is served hot during the winter
Source: Wikipedia
Ingredients
- Carrots (Gajar) 1 Kg
- Milk 1 Liter (High fat milk)
- Sugar 1/2 cup (125 gms) More if you like it sweeter.
- Ghee about 150 ml (Less if you are diet conscious)
- Raisins a handful
- Cashewnuts a handful
- Cardamom powder 1/2 Tsp
Method
Step 1
Grate the Carrots (I use my Inalsa food processor)
Step 2
In a large pan, mix the carrots and milk and put it on the stove. Keep stirring the mixture so that the carrots cook in the milk, the milk solids do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep it on the stove till all the water gets evaporated and you get a solid mixture of carrots and milk solids.
Step 3
Add Sugar to the mixture while it is on the stove and mix well.
Step 4
Add most of the Ghee and fry the Gajar mixture till the sugar caramelises a little and the Gajar gets fried. See to it that you don't burn it at this stage. Add Cardamom powder.
Step 5
Shallow fry the raisins and cashew nuts in some ghee, and add them to the Halwa and your Gajar Ka Halwa is ready to be served.
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