Gajjar Ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

This recipe takes me back to my ‘Big Mamma’s’ (that’s what I called my granny) cooking. She made it every time she visited us when I was little.

Serves 4 Ingredients

1kg carrots (peeled and grated)

1 litre whole milk

100g caster sugar

50g golden caster

3 tbsp ghee (shop bought or home-made) 20g walnuts

60g almonds

25g cashews

1 tsp cardamom powder 1/ tsp cinnamon 2

Method

In a large pot on a medium-high heat, add the grated carrot and keep stirring. You will see the liquid release from the carrots. Turn the heat to a lower setting if the carrots start to stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook until all the liquid has disappeared. This should take about 12-14 minutes.

At this point add the milk and turn back up to a medium-high heat. Stir occasionally so it does not stick and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer to let the milk reduce gradually. Occasionally skim the top of the milk if there is a ‘skin’ or it gets ‘frothy’. Mix and stir at regular intervals so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until most of the milk has evaporated, only a little should remain at the bottom of the pot. This will take around 35-40 minutes. You might see fine milk solids in the ‘Halwa’, don’t worry. This is normal and won’t affect the taste. At this point mix in both the sugars.

In a separate small pan, add the ghee and heat on a medium heat. Add nuts and cook for 2-3 mins until the mix bubbles. Add the cinnamon and cardamom powder to the pan and stir for 30 seconds. Add this mixture to the pot of carrots. Keep cooking the carrots until all the milk has evaporated and the mixture looks like a thick pudding. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but can also be enjoyed cold. The ghee is an important part of the flavour. If you can’t find any in your local shops, it’s easy to make – the only ingredient is butter.