gajar halwa – carrot halwa

gajar halwa – a traditional indian sweet that holds a special place in many indian hearts.

this time for valentine’s day i wanted to post this carrot halwa recipe and some more desserts. however, due to server upgradation, i was not able to post for some days and neither reply to comments. hence missed the valentine’s day post. anyways here’s wishing all of you a belated valentine day and do try to make each day of yours as special as valentine day…..

whether its valentine day or not, diwali or not, winters or summers… gajar halwa is a classic indian dessert that goes for any celebrative occasion or season. its an evergreen indian dessert.

gajar halwa and beetroot halwa holds special memories for me. these two sweets were mom’s favorites sweets and no matter how tired she was or the lack of time she had, she would make sure to make these two sweets always…. both together for festive and special occasions.

there are some indian sweets & desserts i have successfully veganized and shall be posting them one by one. this gajar ka halwa is one of the successfully veganized indian sweets… the first being seviyan (vermicelli) kheer).

what comes to my rescue in making indian sweets, is almond milk and paste whilst replacing milk and evaporated/khoya in indian sweets respectively.

the method of making this gajar halwa is exactly the way i make halwa with milk…. be it lauki ka halwa, beetroot halwa or gajar halwa.

its the same cooking technique. so if you are a vegan use almond milk & neutral flavored vegetable oil and if you are a vegetarian use regular milk and ghee.

the proportion of sugar and oil/ghee can always be adjusted in any halwa. so if you like a more sweeter version, add more sugar and if you like a little more grease, then add some more oil or ghee.

personally for me this vegan gajar halwa made in almond milk was tasting very much similar to the regular gajar halwa. even the family could not make out the difference.

i have taken step by step pics for this gajar halwa recipe post. since it was night time there is no daylight magic in the pics and hence look ok ok.

1: first is the tedious job of grating carrots. use a food processor for quick results.

2: mix the almond milk and carrot together in a pan or kadai/wok.

3: put the pan on fire and bring the whole carrot – almond mixture to a gentle boil on a low or medium flame. better to cook on a low or medium flame as slow cooking gives a better taste and the mixture does not have less chances to stick to the pan. use a heavy based non reactive pan or a non stick pan or wok to make the halwa.

4: then simmer and let the carrots-milk mixture cook further. this whole process of cooking the carrots in the milk, takes about 35-45 minutes or more on a low flame.  after 12 minutes this is how the mixture appears.

5: once the carrots are half cooked ie. after overall after 18 minutes add the cardamom powder & stir.

6: continue to stir in between. after 3-4 minutes, add the oil/ghee and sugar.

7: stir and let the mixture thicken. continue to cook.  after 5 minutes…

8: when the liquids in the mixture has almost dried, add raisins, cashews, saffron and almond paste.

9: stir and cook for 2-3 minutes till the moisture dries up. serve the gajar halwa hot or warm.

gajar halwa – carrot halwa

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

gajar halwa – a classic indian dessert made with grated carrots and milk.

Author: dassana

Recipe type: dessert

Cuisine: indian

Serves: 4 medium dessert bowls

Ingredients

• 2 and ½ cups grated organic carrots
• 2 and ½ cups almond milk or regular milk
• 8 tbsp organic unrefined cane sugar or regular sugar ( add more or less as required)
• ¼ or ⅓ cup almond paste or evaporated milk/khoya (optional)
• 5-6 cardamom, powdered or crushed
• 8-10 unsalted whole or chopped cashews
• 7-8 unsalted pistachois – sliced or chopped
• 12-15 golden raisins
• a pinch of saffron (optional)
• 2 or 2/12 tbsp neutral flavored oil (sunflower oil) or ghee

Instructions

1. wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. mix the almond milk and grated carrot together in a pan.
3. keep on fire and allow the mixture to simmer.
4. continue to simmer and cook stirring in between.
5. after 15-20 minutes add cardamom powder and stir.
6. when the mixture has started thickening, add sugar & oil/ghee.
7. stir and continue to cook.
8. when the mixture has almost dried, add the almond paste and dry fruits.
9. stir and cook further for 2-3 minutes.
10. serve gajar halwa hot or warm.
11. the halwa can be also refrigerated and served cold.
12. stays good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4

3.2.1652