Gajar ka Halwa/Carrot Halwa

Have you ever bought a bunch of carrots and then wondered what you were going to do with it? How about a royal dessert. Gajar ka halwa. Yup, that’s right. From the Mughal courts, the subcontinent has inherited the rich and decadent, carrot halwa. You could make a halwa out of anything by mixing butter and sugar in the right proportions. Carrot halwa is especially sensuous given its deep-reddish tinges, the warm milk solids or khoya intermingling with fine strands of carrot, glossed over by creamy butter.

Is it labor intensive to make carrot halwa? Yes!
Is it worth the effort? Absolutely!
And if you can hide some from your salivating taste buds, you can freeze it for later as well.

My earliest memories of having Gajar ka halwa are for Eid. Whether homemade or brought fresh from the ‘halwai’, it added that extra-special touch to an already festive day. The midnight escapades to go raid the fridge were even more enticing because the loot would satisfy my sweet tooth. Personally, I love to have it warmed up and with some fresh roti.

Ingredients:

Carrots 5 lbs peeled and shredded ( the color of the carrots will affect the overall color of the dish – Orange vs red carrots)

Khoya / mild solids (you can use high fat powdered milk as a substitute) 1 cup with some reserved for garnish

Sugar 1.5 – 2 cups (depending on how sweet you like your desserts)

Butter 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) or equal amounts of ghee

Cardamom powder – 10 cardamom pods crushed

Chopped Nuts (almonds and Pistachios) to garnish

Directions:

1. This recipe is for a party-size batch to feed 20 -30 people. You can reduce the recipe in half for a smaller batch or if you want to cook in two separate batches.
2. Start by peeling and shredding the carrots. The food processor will greatly cut down on time when doing this as opposed to doing it manually.
3. Put all the carrots in a big pot over high heat. Cover and keep stirring every few minutes so as not to burn. Nonstick pans will work well. Do not add any water. The carrots will steam in their own moisture. The idea is to dry them out and cook them at the same time.
4. When the carrots have reduced considerably and most of the moisture is dried out, start adding the sugar and butter. Keep the temp high and keep stirring constantly. Muscle power!
5. Add the cardamom powder and most of the milk solids. Note: milk solids also add to the sweetness, so it is advisable not to dump all the sugar in at the beginning but rather build it up as needed.
6. The carrots should start changing color and texture. The more you cook it, the better.
7. When your arms are tired out(!) and the butter starts oozing out from the bulk of the mixture, you know that it is a happy mix. Throw in the chopped nuts and cook slightly longer.
8. Serve with some freshly grates Khoya on top.
9. Traditionally, pure silver paper (warq) is applied to this before serving to elevate the already royal status. You can also keep a pitcher of fresh cream to pour over some of the halwa for even added richness.
   

Variation:
Gajrella: This is a close cousin to the Halwa. The only difference in this is that the carrots are cooked in liquid milk and the end result has a more pudding like consistency.

If you are looking for some other sweets to make around Eid, try Sawaiyyan ( Vermicelli in Milk), or Gulab Jamuns.