Gajar ka Halwa

Carrot pudding with cardamom, pistachios and raisin

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I could not ask for more than being able to cook and write about food. I love it with a passion and its put me in food heaven to say the least! Knowing there are people out there with similar flair and enthusiasm of food talk.

I get asked loads of times what my favorite Indian dessert is. And more often than ever I can’t pick one out of the enormous collection each region has to offer but if there is one that I never tire of cooking, it has to be Gajar ka Halwa; a Punjabi classic Indian sweet Carrot Pudding. I have always enjoyed cooking it for family and friends. The recipe I follow is fairly simple and an absolute winner. It is a labour of love in terms of the cooking time and is worth the effort. The carrots need to be slightly caramelised and turn a bright orange. I use Condensed Milk, as it offers a really nice gooey & fudgey consistency to the pudding and also lends the required sweetness. With all sweets, vary the level of sweetness as you prefer. So I leave it up to you to add as much or as little as you please. This dessert can be served with cream or creme fraiche but nothing can beat ice cream.

The perfect pudding for a cold winter evening…Enjoy!

Method

  1. In a heavy bottom non stick pan heat the butter and add grated carrots. Cook over medium heat and sauté till they have softened slightly and have changed in colour to a bright orange for about 30 mins or so, stirring continuously.Gajar ka halwa2

  2. Add whole milk to the pan and reduce the heat to low cooking till the milk has dried out which will take about 15 minutes. Stir the pan well to avoid the mix from sticking or burning

  3. Add the condensed milk and cardamom powder. Stir through getting all the carrots to coat the condensed milk cooking on a low heat for 25 minutes. Add the raisins and some of the pistachio. The heat of the pudding will also puff up the raisins making them taste even better. Gajar ka halwa3

  4. The consistency should be thick, making sure all the moisture has evaporated and the carrots have softened. Serve warm garnished with remaining pistachios along side some ice cream.

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