Make Carrot Halwa

Carrot halwa is an Indian dessert made out of carrots, milk, and a sweetener. It is also known as gajar ka halwa. Most of the ingredients in the traditional recipe are fairly common, though you might not have green cardamom seeds in your kitchen. Whether you want a traditional recipe or a vegan one, making carrot halwa is relatively simple.

Ingredients

Traditional Carrot Halwa

Servings: 4

• 1 pound carrots- 4 large carrots
• 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral cooking oil (canola oil, grapeseed oil or peanut oil)
• 8 green cardamom pods *found at Wholefoods, Safeway or equivalent grocery store
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• Pinch of saffron *found at Wholefoods, Safeway or equivalent grocery store
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Vegan Carrot Halwa

Servings: 4

• 2 pounds carrots- 8 large carrots
• 4 1/4 cups almond milk
• 8 green cardamom pods *found at Wholefoods, Safeway or equivalent grocery store
• Date paste to taste (as a sweetener) *see above
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cashew butter (optional) *also see above
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Steps

Making Traditional Carrot Halwa

1. Prepare the carrots. Wash and peel four large carrots. Make sure to scrub the carrots clean. Then remove the peels with a vegetable peeler.
   • If you do not have large carrots, wash and peel about eight small or medium sized carrots. Altogether you will need enough for four cups of grated carrots.
2. Grate the carrots. Use a cheese grater with bigger slots to coarsely grate the carrots. You may also use a food processor. However, do not let them turn into a paste in the food processor.
   • One large carrot equals roughly one cup of grated carrot. If you do not have large carrots, use a measuring cup and grate until you have four cups.
3. Extract the cardamom seeds from the eight pods. You can buy these pods from a grocery store with a large selection like Whole Foods. The pods are usually wrapped in cellophane and near the spice or produce section. Open the pods with your fingers, and remove the seeds.
4. Crush all the cardamom seeds. Use a rolling pin, a mortar and pestle, or the blunt end of a cooking utensil to crush the cardamom seeds. On a cutting board, press down firmly on the seeds with your instrument until the seeds break. Crush two or three times more, until the largest chunks are broken up a bit.
   • You do not need to continue crushing the seed. The seeds only need to be crushed enough to release their flavor. In fact, some recipes use whole seeds.
5. Coarsely chop the pistachios. If you bought the whole nuts, open the shells with your fingers. Then on a cutting board, chop the nuts until they are in 3-5 pieces. Chop the nuts until you have about ¼ cup. They will be used as a garnish for your halwa once it is prepared. Place them in a bowl, and put them to the side.
6. Heat up the {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of oil. Get out a larger, high-sided skillet or saucepan. Pour the oil or ghee in, and turn up the heat to medium-high. You will know the oil or ghee is hot enough when you sprinkle water on it and it makes a hissing noise.
   • Use a heavy-bottom pan if you have one. These higher quality skillets will distribute the heat more evenly. Your mixture will be less likely to burn if you use use a heavy-bottom skillet.
   • Ghee is a form of clarified butter. It can be found at Whole Foods or in most Indian or international supermarkets.
   • A neutral cooking oil is one that doesn't give a particular flavor to the dish. For instance, you can also use corn oil, peanut oil, or canola oil for this dish.
7. Put the crushed cardamom seeds in the heated oil. Keep the heat at medium-high. Mix the cardamom in the oil with your cooking spoon. Let it cook for about half a minute or until you can smell its fragrance.
8. Add four cups of coarsely grated carrots into the pan. Keep the heat at medium high. Stir the carrots in with the cardamom. Let the mixture cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Pour 3 cups whole milk into the mixture. Bring the milk mixture up to a boil. Once the mixture is at a boil, turn down the heat to medium. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes. Stir the whole time the mixture is boiling. After five minutes, turn the heat down to low, and let the halwa simmer for about an hour. Check the halwa and stir occasionally.
   • By the end of the hour, a good amount of the liquid in the mixture should have evaporated.
10. Add the following ingredients to the mixture: 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup raisins and a pinch of saffron. Take your index finger and thumb and grab a little pinch of saffron. Add it to the mix. Cook the mixture for 20 more minutes. Cook until the mixture is thick and shiny.
11. Scoop the halwa into bowls. Eat the halwa with spoons. You may want to allow the halwa to cool for a couple of minutes. Halwa can be served warm or cool.
    • To cool the halwa, scoop it into a bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let it cool in the refrigerator for three to four hours before serving.
12. Top it with a sprinkle of your chopped pistachios for a garnish. Enjoy your Indian dessert with friends or family.

Preparing Vegan Halwa

1. Prepare the carrots. Wash and peel four large carrots. Make sure to scrub the carrots clean. Then remove the peels with a vegetable peeler.
   • If you do not have large carrots, wash and peel about eight small or medium sized carrots. Altogether you will need enough for eight cups of grated carrots.
2. Grate the carrots. Use a cheese grater with big slots to coarsely grate the carrots. You may also use a food processor. However, do not let them turn into a paste in the food processor.
   • One large carrot= one cup of grated carrot. If you do not have large carrots, use a measuring cup and grate until you have eight cups.
3. Extract the cardamom seeds from the eight pods. You can buy these pods from a grocery store with a large selection like Whole Foods. The pods are usually wrapped in cellophane and are in the spice or produce section. Open the pods with your fingers, and remove the seeds.
4. Crush all the cardamom seeds. Use a rolling pin, a mortar and pestle, or the blunt end of a cooking utensil to crush the cardamom seeds. On a cutting board, press down firmly on the seeds with your instrument until the seeds break. Crush two or three times more, until the largest chunks are broken up a bit.
   • You do not need to continue crushing the seed. The seeds only need to be crushed enough to release their flavor. In fact, some recipes use whole seeds.
5. Coarsely chop the pistachios. If you bought the whole nuts, open the shells with your fingers. Then on a cutting board, chop the nuts until they are in 3-5 pieces. Chop the nuts until you have about ¼ cup. They will be used as a garnish for your halwa once it is prepared. Place them in a bowl, and put them to the side.
6. Get out a larger, high sided skillet or saucepan. Use a heavy-bottom pan if you have one. These higher quality skillets will distribute the heat more evenly. Your mixture will be less likely to burn if you use use a heavy-bottom skillet.
7. Add the coarsely grated carrots, 4 ¼ cups almond milk, and crushed cardamom seeds into your pan. Mix them together with a cooking spoon. Bring the pan up to medium high heat, and cook until the mixture comes to a boil.
8. Cook the mixture for 30-40 minutes or until the liquid has reduced. Reduce the heat to medium. Check on the mixture after 15-20 minutes, if the liquid is still at the same level, turn up the heat. All of the liquid evaporate should be evaporated by the end of the 40 minutes. The longer and hotter the mixture cooks for the thicker it will become. Cook until the mixture is a thick and shiny consistency without any liquid.
   • You can use soy or coconut milk instead of almond milk in this dish. Coconut milk will add a more sweet and tangy flavor. Soy milk, on the other hand, has a bit more of a creamy taste and has a little thicker consistency.
9. Take off heat and stir in the date paste to taste. Start with a quarter cup of date paste, and stir it into your mixture. Take a small taste with a clean spoon. Add more date paste until it is sweet enough for you.
   • Use agave nectar to sweeten carrot halwa. Start with a half cup, and sweeten to taste. If you add agave nectar, cook longer, until the mixture is thick and shiny.
   • Date paste and cashew butter can be found at a grocery store like Whole Foods.
10. Add in the raisins and 1 ½ tablespoons cashew butter. The cashew butter is optional, and it will give the dish more of a creamy, thick consistency. It will add more fat and protein to your dessert. Mix raisins and cashew butter thoroughly.
11. Scoop the halwa into bowls. Get out spoons to eat it with. Halwa can be served warm or cool.
    • To cool the halwa, scoop the halwa into a bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let it cool in the refrigerator for three to four hours before serving.
12. Top it with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios for your garnish. Enjoy your vegan Indian dessert with friends or family.

Tips

• Always make halwa in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
• If you don't want to peel the carrots, start with baby carrots instead.

Things You'll Need

• Grater or shredder; or processor
• Heavy based frying pan
• Stirring implement
• Storage container for refrigeration, if chilling

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See also

• Make Kulfi (Indian Milk Ice Cream)
• Make Kaju Katli
• Cook Pongal
• Make Coconut Laddu
• Make Jalebi
• Make Besan Ladoo
• Make Kheer
• Make Rasgullas
• Make Indian Falooda
• Make 7 Cup Burfi

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• Make Carrot Halwa Without Milk