Carrot Halwa Recipe with step by step pictures - Carrot Halwa / Gajar ka Halwa is my most favourite dessert.It is one of the recipes that clicked for me in the first attempt itself and after that no looking back, it comes out good everytime I make it.I wanted to try the traditional way of making carrot halwa, the slow cooking process and this time I tried with khoya and the halwa turned out delicious.I have already posted an easy recipe for carrot halwa do check out that.
I just made it this morning and as I write it am enjoying the chilled carrot halwa :) Hot carrot halwa with cold vanilla ice icecream is a match made in heaven, if you haven't tasted the combo then you should do it right away.
As I always start cooking something sweet with most of my new cooking utenstils(remember I did the same with my pressure pan too), I made this carrot halwa today with my new ultra cooker too :) It has a thick bottomed base so no sticking at all perfect for making such sweets.
Carrot Halwa Recipe
Preparation Time:10 minutes | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves:2
Recipe Category: Dessert | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Recipe Category: Dessert | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Grated Carrot - 2 cups tightly packed
Boiled Milk - 1 and 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
Unsweetened Khoya - 1/4 cup crumbled
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Nuts - 2 tbsp(I used cashews, badams and pista)
Method:
- Wash carrots well, trim the edges and peel off the skin.Grate it using a grater.In a pan or pressure cooker, heat a tsp of ghee and add grated carrots.
- Saute till raw smell leaves and it starts to shrink, it may take atleast 5mins, do this in low flame.Now add milk and let it cook.
- Once carrots become soft and cooked fully , keep the flame in low medium for the milk to reduce.It will nicely bubble and start reducing slowly,stir on and off.Keep scraping the sides.When the milk is almost reduced add sugar.
- Once you add sugar, it will again become runny, just keep cooking and stirring.Add khoya at this stage, let it cook for 5mins in low flame.Keep stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- When the mixture becomes dry add ghee little by little and stir well.
- When it becomes dry with a slight sticky texture,add cardamom powder and nuts.Give a quick stir, let it cook for a minute then switch off.
My Notes:
- Don't add sugar before carrots are cooked.
- Always saute carrots in ghee till raw smell completely leaves.
- Using a thick bottomed utensil is a must.
- Cooking the entire process in low or low medium flame is advisable.
- You can even add saffron strands and raisins in addition.
- The halwa keeps well for 2-3 days if refrigerated, in room temperature only for a day.
