Carrot Dessert
Gajar ka halwa is a North Indian dessert of grated carrots cooked slowly in milk until all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are candied in the reduced milk. The finished dish is a dense, sweet mass flavoured with cardamom and raisins.
The principle is the same as for condensed milk: long, slow reduction concentrates the sugar in the milk and gives a caramel-like sweetness that blends with the natural sugar of the carrots. Butter and extra sugar are added at the end, once the milk has gone, giving the dish its final consistency.
Served traditionally at Diwali, weddings and other festive occasions, but works just as well as an everyday dessert. It can be eaten hot, warm or cold — the consistency firms up as it cools.
Ingredients
Serves 4–6
- 1½ l milk
- 250 g carrots, finely grated
- 75 g butter
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 125 g sugar
- 50 g raisins (or sultanas)
- 1 tsp cardamom, for garnish
- 2 silver leaves (varg), for garnish
- butter, for greasing
Directions
Put the milk and grated carrots in a wide sauté pan or heavy-based saucepan. Use a pan with a large surface area — it speeds up evaporation.
Bring to the boil over high heat, then let it simmer over medium heat. Stir regularly, especially near the base, so the milk doesn’t catch. Continue until all the milk has evaporated and the mixture is thick and almost dry. This takes 30–40 minutes.
Add the butter, golden syrup, sugar and raisins. Stir until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture is uniform.
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, for a further 15–20 minutes, until the mixture pulls away from the pan as a single mass and has a deep golden colour.
Pour the mixture onto a greased dish or plate and press it out evenly to a layer of about 2 cm. Sprinkle with ground cardamom and lay strips of silver leaf on top.
Let the dish set for 10–15 minutes, cut into squares or diamonds and serve hot, warm or cold.
Notes
Active time is short, but the total cooking takes 40–50 minutes due to the reduction. Use a wide pan and keep an eye on the base towards the end — that’s where it catches.
Silver leaves (varg) are decorative garnish and can be left out. The dish works fine without.
Can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 4–5 days. Reheat in a microwave or warm pan with a splash of milk if the consistency has become too firm.
See Also
Green Chutney
