Dessert ·
vegetarian ·
My Daadi's Gaajar Ka Halwa
My daadi's secret recipe
This recipe is close to my heart. I would spend the weekends with my grandparents as a child. On cold winter mornings my daadi would come in and ring a tiny bell to wake me up !!! Breakfast was usually a large bowl of this gaajar ka halwa.
This recipe is perfect to have daily. It isn't ridiculously heavy because my daadi hated foods that "would sit in her chest" .. i think she meant... if the food was too rich.
This recipe is perfect to have daily. It isn't ridiculously heavy because my daadi hated foods that "would sit in her chest" .. i think she meant... if the food was too rich.
In our house, these things are NOT for special occasions, these were everyday foods.
I hope you enjoy this special halwa from my childhood.
I hope you enjoy this special halwa from my childhood.
please scroll to the bottom and read the notes too
Ingredients:
- 1 kg winter carrots ( the dark long ones)
- 1 ltr milk (whole milk is best)
- 120 ml cup of sugar (approximately 18-20 tsp leveled)
- 2 tbsp of ghee
- 4 Black Cardamom - open it and take out the seeds
- 1-2 tbsp watermelon seeds ( white in colour, available at supermarkets)
- Few almonds sliced or grated
Method :
- Grate carrots on the big sized grater and keep aside
- Heat the milk and start adding the grated carrot
- Add in the cardamom seeds and keep stirring
- You need to keep stirring as the milk will slowly start to thicken
- Add in the watermelon seeds
- It will eventually reach a kheer consistency ( you can have it at this point too )
- Keep stirring till the milk has been completely absorbed
- Add in the sugar and stir continuously till the sugar is completely dissolved
- Add the ghee and continue to stir
- Keep stirring till the halwa starts to change colour to a dark red or maroon.
- Then it is ready
Notes :
- Carrots : use the winter carrots that are long and darker in colour
- Grater : use the larger setting or large holes to grate the carrot
- Watermelon Seeds : these are dried seeds also known as magaz in hindi. It is available at dry fruit stores or even at super markets. To soften this you can soak it in hot water for 10 mins before using
- Cardamom seeds : this recipe only uses the seeds from the large black cardamom. Please do not add the skins here.
- When the halwa is at a kheer consistency ( without sugar) we call this gajrela and you can have this like this too. Hot from the kadhai !! Give it a try.
