Gajar ka Halwa / Gajrela (Carrot Pudding) - Dessert Month Recipe 2

Winter is the time for Gajar ka Halwa, but in our house it is an all season hit. If you could get carrots, any time was gajar ka halwa time. The crunchy red roots become the perfect warm dessert, sweet, rich, chewy with the nuts adding a textural contrast. And it is easy to make except it needs a little elbow grease and patience. So here goes...

Ingredients:

2 pounds Carrots (~1 kilo)

2 cups full fat milk (~1/2 litre)

1 cup mava (khoya) (~200 grams)

1 cup sugar (~200 grams) 

1 teaspoon ghee

1/2 cup assorted dry fruits, cashews, almonds and raisins

Grate the carrots using a medium sized grater. Leave out the central portion which is pale yellow in color. Heat the ghee in heavy bottomed pan. Add the carrots to it and saute. Add the milk to this and let it cook for about 45 minutes on low to medium heat stirring occasionally. At this point the carrots will be almost cooked and the milk will have evaporated. Then add the mava and sugar and cook till the sugar dissolves and the mava is incorporated into the carrots thoroughly. Add the dry fruits and mix well. 

Garnish with a few pieces of chopped almonds. Serve warm by itself or with a dollop of vanilla icecream. Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator and before serving, reheat in a microwave.

PS: Today is my Grandmothers birthday. So this is for you grandma... Happy Birthday!

I am sending this to Priya's event "Lets Celebrate Sweets- Warm Desserts, an event started by Nivedita