Gajar Halwa!

If asked what do you do when it snows? I would say I stare out of the window, wait for spring!!

And then turn around to do what I enjoy most – cook!!

The weekend saw flurry of activity in the malls, grocery stores, all because snow storm was expected. It’s the season so there is no escape.  The prediction came true. We were holed up inside our homes. This is when the carrots that I bought just a day before were beckoning me – the bright pinkish orange colored fresh carrots. The decision was made – I decided to make Gajar ka Halwa. One dessert that never fails to attract attention.

If you put your heart and soul the efforts are rewarding and the way the gajar ka halwa turned out seals it.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Grated carrots 1kg

Sugar – 150 – 2oo gms

Ghee/clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Mava/ Khoya – ¼th – ½ cup

Orange peel – half of the orange.

Eliachi/ cardamom powder – ¼th teaspoon.

Method: To start the process, prepare the orange peel. Make sure to remove the white flesh from underneath the orange skin and make thin slices like juliennes . In a pan add the orange peel and two teaspoons of sugar and one cup of water, cook on medium heat until the aroma is released from the orange peel and the syrup is reduced to half.

In another wide mouthed pan add the grated carrot and sugar ( if you have a very sweet tooth than use upto 200 gms of sugar or adjust according to taste.) Let this cook on medium heat stirring from time to time to ensure even cooking. The coming together of carrots and sugar will release moisture and this moisture will help tenderize the carrots. Let this cook until the moisture evaporates. At this point add the sugar and orange peel syrup. Mix well and cook to ensure the moisture is all absorbed.

Add ghee/clarified butter and fry for a couple of minutes only – over frying will darken the color of the carrot mix. Frying just for couple of minutes is sufficient. Switch of the heat and add the crumbled khoya/mava, lightly mix and let it cool. Add eliachi/cardamom powder. Garnish with slivered pistachios and almonds.

Enjoy this dessert topping with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream – yummmmmy! 🙂