If you are looking for an easy dessert recipe that you can prepare in no time, carrot halwa is the right one for you. It is an Indian Ladda or flat cake made with carrot flesh, rolled in flour and formed into chunks. It is considered to be an authentic Indian dessert. Here we have listed some of the benefits associated with this delicacy.
The benefits of making this type of dish are very many. For starters, it is a great way to use up dried fruits that are lying around your household that are otherwise going to get binned. If you are thinking of using dry fruits you can go with cardamom instead of ginger and add some dry fruits like almonds or cashews. You can even substitute with raisins and dates if you do not have any of these ingredients.
Carrot Halwa Benefits
We have listed down benefits of carrot halwa that will prove to be of great help to you in preparing this recipe at home. The main ingredient used to prepare this dish is the carrot. Carrot is a good source of carotene, beta-carotene, iron and is considered to be a good source of fiber too. Carrots are very high in vitamins A, C and B complex and are great sources of fiber and protein.
If you like your desserts to be crunchy rather than chewy, you can grate the carrots while they are still fresh in a food processor. You can also grate the carrots when they are just ripe. Carrots have a bitter taste but with grating them it gives out a sweet taste and the end product is carrot halwa which tastes sweet and is healthy too.
How to make Carrot Halwa?
- First, Take 650 grams of carrots and grated. (8 to 9 medium-sized juicy carrots).
- Then grate the all carrots either with a hand-held grater or in a food processor.
- Add all of the grated carrots in heavy Kadai.
- Pour 4 cups full-fat milk. Switch on the burner.
- After, Mix the grated carrots and milk together.
- Cook this on a low to medium flame. After some time, the milk will begin to froth first and then start reducing slowly and slowly.
- Continue cooking, until milk is reduced by 75% in carrot.
- Then add 4 tablespoons pure ghee. Mix Well.
- Next, add 10 to 12 tablespoons sugar (required).
- Add cardamom powder – 5 to 6 green cardamom, powdered finely in a mortar-pestle or about ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder. Mix well.
- Continue to simmer on a low flame. Do stir often.
- Simmer till the halwa mixture starts to thicken and reduces more. Stir at intervals.
- When the halwa has reduced much and you see a little milk – like that of a pudding consistency. Then add nuts and dry fruits.
- You can add your choice of any nuts and dry fruits. I added 12 cashews, 12 almonds and 2 tablespoons golden raisins.
- Chop the nuts before and add. Raisins can be kept whole. If using saffron, then you can add at this step.
You can make this dish hot or warm (according to the situation). You can serve carrot halwa hot with cashew nuts or cardamom seeds to enhance the flavour. It is always preferred to serve chilled recipe when you are entertaining guests over the holiday season or during nights when there is a chill in the atmosphere. You can serve carrot halwa hot with ice cream. Iced or frozen cream is the best option to serve chilled. Serve this delicious dessert with some mints or prunes to enhance the flavour.
You can also try to experiment with different recipes. There are many Indian puddings or recipes that use carrot halwa as an ingredient. You can try to use some spices like coriander powder, turmeric powder or chillies to make the carrot halwa crispy. These spices not only make the carrot halwa crispy but it also makes it a nutritious snack for everyone to enjoy. You can also use some cooked rice along with the recipe to make this dish more delicious. Serve this delicacy with some basmati rice for some extra calories and carbohydrates.
Read also… Check the Beetroot Recipes and its Nutritious Benefits
