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Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding) #FantasticalFoodFight


I love the Fantastical Food Fight coordinated by Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. For more information about the event, click here.


This month, we were given the challenge of making a recipe inspired by carrot cake. So. Many. Possibilities. I have made many a carrot cake: D made a Spicy Carrot Cake one Easter; Morotskaka is a Swedish carrot cake; I even folded petals in a Marigold Carrot Cake.


But I really wanted to do something different. I toyed with a savory carrot cake with turmeric and a feta cheese "frosting," but I'll save that for another time. In the end, I opted to make an unusual Indian dessert that's made with grated carrots, milk, nuts, and spices. But, first, here's the rest of the crew's offerings...



Gajar Ka Halwa
(Carrot Pudding)

This isn't wholly traditional as I used what we had. I wanted to use rainbow carrots - I had orange, yellow, and purple ones - but D insisted that we use only the orange ones for this. And since he was the one doing all the grating, I went with it!


Ingredients
  • 4 C organic carrots, grated 
  • 2 C whole milk
  • 5 T organic dark brown sugar
  • 2 T butter (traditionally, ghee is used)
  • 1/2 t ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 t ground cardamom
  • 1/4 t ground allspice
  • 1/4 t ground ginger
  • 1/4 t ground nutmeg
  • 14 ounces condensed milk
  • 1 C whole roasted, unsalted cashews + more for garnish


Procedure
In a large, flat-bottom pan, add the carrots, brown sugar, and 1 C milk. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk. Once the milk boils, reduce the heat to a simmer then cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed completely and the carrots are soft.

Add in the cashews, the butter, and the spices. Pour in the condensed milk. Continue cooking until the liquid is incorporated into the carrots and you have a thick pudding. Spoon into individual serving bowls and garnish with a cashew.

Comments

  1. Yes! I was so hoping someone would do halwa! Yum!

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  2. You are so lucky to have such a great helper! This sounds so yummy.

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  3. I have never heard of Halwa and now I can't wait to try it.

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  4. Totally love gajar ka halwa, I can eat packs and packs of it in one sitting but only worried about the calories... hehe... the halwa looks delicious...

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  5. That looks fantastic - also totally intrigued by the savory carrot cake!

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  6. Delicious looking halwa. I usually just add a bit of cardamom and saffron. However, do love your idea of adding carrot cake spices to it.

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  7. What a great flavor profile!

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