Carrot Halwa

I have cooked this halwa few times and each time it’s a hit and easy to make. A slight advantage over flour halwas since it contains vegetable we can call it healthier..hehe. That was our wedding day and there’s a unwritten rule of making a sweet. My mom usually makes rava kesari for special occasions with lots of ghee and cashews...yummy similar to the srinivasa perumal temple’s kesari..haha.

Carrots Health benefits:

As we all know it’s good for improving eyesight, assists in skin’s health and delays aging. 

Carrot Halwa

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet/Snack/dessert

Yields: 3

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 25 Mins 

Ingredients needed:

1 big sized carrot(chopped, approx = 2 cups)

½ cup milk

¾ cup sugar(I used raw sugar,

adjust according to your sweet tooth level, carrots also give out some sweetness)

Cashews as needed

1 tsp Cardamom powder/Nutmeg powder

3-4 tbsp of ghee ghee/oil 

To make the halwa:

1. Pressure cook carrots with milk for 3-4 whistles or until soft.

2. Transfer cooked carrot to a heavy bottomed vessel and mash it to a smooth paste.

3.Turn on heat to medium.Cover the lid cook for 5 mins. Now remove lid and keep stirring the mixture until 70% of the moisture is absorbed.

4.Now add sugar and 2 tbsp of ghee. The mixture will become little watery. Keep working on it until it becomes thick and non sticky in the pan. For me it took about 10-15 mins after adding sugar.

5.Fry cashews in ghee and add it to the halwa with cardamom powder.Add another tbsp of ghee and switch off ,serve hot.

Notes:

You can add desired nuts as it is or after frying in ghee.

Personally, I don’t like adding salt to enhance flavor but if you like you can.

You can cook carrots or boil them(just to get rid of that raw smell) without milk and later you can add condensed milk to the mashed carrots but  adjust sugar accordingly. Condensed milk gives a rich taste to the halwa.

Even koya can be added instead of milk.

Uzhunthu halwa/Ulunthangali

Recently I attended a puberty function of our close relative. Usually we prepare some sweets and give it to the blossomed girl. Urad dal plays a significant role in the sweets during this time as it is  believed that urad dal strenghtens the hip bone/muscles. Leaving behind the controversies about the function in modern days I believe every moment of life should be celebrated and why not this. I prepared this halwa(actually called ulunthangali) and gave it to the girl.

Black gram/urad dal health benefits:

Rich in protein. Relieves pain and inflammation in joints. Good source of calcium and minerals.Improves digestion.

Uzhunthu halwa/Ulunthangali

Cuisine: Indian/South

Category: Sweet/Snack

Yields: 3

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 20 Mins

Ingredients needed:

½ cup urad dal/black gram powder(roasted and ground)

½ cup jaggery/palm sugar

½ tsp cardamom powder/dry ginger powder

½ cup sesame oil/ghee (I used sesame oil because it is traditionally cooked that way for the function)

Pinch of salt(optional)

To make the halwa:

1.Dry roast urad dal till golden shade and grind in a processor to a fine coarse powder.

2. Add two and half times of water to one measurement of the powder.(water to powder 2 ½ :1) and mix well ensuring no lumps.

3. Place a heavy bottomed pan on stove over a medium flame and pour the water & urad dal mixture into it.

4.Add cardamom powder and let the mixture boil. Throughout the process keep stirring the mixture as it might easily get burnt.

5. When it starts to bubble & thicken add the jaggery/palm sugar. Initially the jaggery releases water and makes the mixture little watery. Keep stirring.

6.Now the mixture again starts to bubble&thicken, here add the sesameoil/ghee and keep stirring. It took 15 mins for the mixture to thicken.

7. Once you see the halwa sweating oil and moves freely without sticking to the vessel switch off the flame. Serve hot. 

Notes:

You can use cashews for garnish, it makes the dish more tastier.

Traditionally ginger powder is used as I ran out of it I used cardamom powder.

You can store it for up to maximum 3 days without refrigerating.

You can soak jaggery in ½ cup of water and strain it before using. Mine doesn’t have any sediments when I tested last time so used it directly. 

Adding a tbsp of ghee before switching off the fire enhances the halwa’s flavor.