Carrot Pudding - Gajar ka Halwa

There is a saying kuch ache ki shuruat meethe se karo.

So my first post will be about one of the most relished dessert from India i.e "Carrot pudding" also known as "Gajar ka Halwa", very much pleasant in winters time with some mystery flavours....

Time Taken - 40-45 mins

Ingredients -

Carrot - 1/2 Kg

Desi Ghee - 2 Tbsp

Milk - 750 ml (Full Cream)

Milkmaid - 200 gm (optional)

Brown Sugar - 1/2 Cup (if Milkmaid is not available, use 1 cup Brown Sugar)

Saffron Strands - 4-5 strands

Elaichi Powder - 1/2 tsp

Mixed Dry Fruits - Cashew, Sliced Almonds, Raisins etc

Rose Water - few drops

Grated Coconut - for decoration (optional)

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 💡  This halwa is made by gently heating lots of full cream milk along with carrots and sugar over low flame. In this variation I decided to saute the Carrots and boil the milk separately and later on we mix two of them. By this the sweetnes of Carrot in the dish get enhanced and make the dish more tempting. Here I used Brown Sugar in place of Sugar which will make the dish  more tasty and healthy too.

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Procedure - 

• Wash, peel and grate the Carrots.
• Heat Desi Ghee in a deep cooking pot like kadhai and saute the grated carrots for 15-20 mins on medium heat. Keep it Stir in every 5-6 mins. (Note: how to check Carrot is properly cooked or not - some aroma or sweet smell started coming once it is cooked properly.)
• Alongwith sauteing the Carrots, take a different pan and boil milk by adding saffron strands and elaichi powder for 10-15 mins on medium heat.
• Now pour the boiled milk mixture into Carrot's pan and add milkmaid(200gm)+1/2 Cup Brown Sugar or 1 cup Brown Sugar and mix it gently. Let the mixture cook for another 15-20 mins till it becomes little thick.
• At this stage to the mixture add dry fruits (Cashew, Sliced Almonds, Raisins etc).
• Let it cool down for 5 mins and add few drops of Rose water for fragnance in the Halwa.
• Garnish with mixed Dry Fruits and drizzle the milkmaid over the top or with Grated Coconut.

Note - Instead of using Brown Sugar, normal sugar also can be used. For Garnishing one Scoop of Vanila Ice-cream also can be used.( Icecream can be used only when Halwa is hot)

Mystery Flavors - #CarrotPudding

Have a sweet and happy evening with your friends and family!