Carrot Halwa {Old Post, New Pictures}

Happy Diwali- The Festival of Lights!

A new beginning! This calls for special dish(es) to be prepared in celebration. One of the sweets I can claim to be "experienced" in is Carrot Halwa- The Diet version ;-) 

Rather than trying to explain what halwa is, this is what it looks like:

It's basically a reduction of milk, carrots, sugar and a bit of spice. And it takes a looooong time, about 2 hours,  for the milk to reduce. So if you are in a hurry, this is not the ideal dessert!! But let me tell you, the end result is sooo worth it. And it's best consumed warm. 

I make mine the diet version with less sugar, and reduced fat milk and just a couple teaspoons of ghee,  but you achieve a richer texture and taste with full fat milk and a lot more ghee. 

Ingredients:
*  4-5 medium carrots- peeled and grated
*  1/2 gallon (2L for you Canadian readers) 2% milk
*  1/2 cup sugar
*  4-5 cardamom seeds (removed from the pod)
*  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*  2 tsp ghee, preferable homemade (clarified butter)


Directions:

1.  In a large non stick Dutch oven (non stick is really the key), bring the milk to a boil and then reduce to simmer (medium-high). 

When the milk is partway reduced, add the sugar and carrots and cardamom and continue stirring every so often to ensure even cooking. Stirring also helps to make sure the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.






Keep at this process of stirring for the next hour or more, until the mixture is considerably reduced and you can smell a caramelly aroma. 

Finally you will get a mixture that looks like this-

At this point you can shut off the heat, add the vanilla and ghee and stir well. 

Enjoy when warm!!!!!