This all-season treat, is my favorite to eat whether warm or cold. It’s carrot pudding with dry fruits and a lot of ghee and sugar! Everything, a perfect dessert should have is in this dish! Definitely, try it and if you do, tag me @cardamom__saffron on Instagram!
One hour, one pot Gajar Halwa
This wintery treat is usually put on a kadhai (Wok) and the raw carrots are cooked in milk for hours, slowly incorporating flavors and using a generous amount of ghee. But this recipe here is made under an hour including the grating of carrots and tastes a lot like my grandmother's halwa that she made on a cold winter day.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker – If you don't have access to a pressure cooker, you can use an instant cooker or a huge saucepan, it will take longer but will be worth it!
- Small Pan
- Grater
- Mortar & Pestle
Ingredients
- 750 gram Orange/Red Carrots This may seem a lot of carrots but it will be cooked down and reduced.
- 2.5 cup Whole Milk
- 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 5-7 pods of Green Cardamom
- 8-9 strands of Saffron
- a handful of Sliced Almonds
- a handful of Cashews
- a handful of Golden Raisins
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 shelled pistachios (optional) – for garnishing
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients.
- Peel the carrot cake and wash them to prepare them for grating.
- You have two options now, either grate them by hand or pulse them 10-12 times in a food processor. The grating is more authentic and cooks down quicker but if you are short on time, the food processor will work just fine.
- Chop the dry fruits and keep them aside.
- Using a mortar & pestle, crush the green cardamom so you are left with freshly ground cardamom. You can either use the green cardamom pods or you can leave them and use them in your tea!
- In a pressure cooker, add in the milk let it heat a bit, add in the cardamom and the grated carrots.
- In a small pan, roast the saffron threads lightly and crush with fingers for even spreading.
- Mix well and add in the sugar, you can reduce the sugar depending on carrot's sweetness.
- Mix everything well, add in the saffron and let it come to a boil. Once boiled, put on the pressure cooker lid and let it cook for 3-4 whistles on medium-high to medium-low flame.
- If using a saucepan, to cook the halwa, then follow the same method and cover and cook the mixture it will take around 30-40 mins. Make sure that you stir the mixture so it doesn't stick to the bottom!
- Release the pressure and open the cooker. On some occasions, my milk and fats have separated due to various factors and on some occasions, the milk remains as is.
- In either case, let the flame be on high and keep cooking the carrot mixture, in the pressure cooker, until all liquid evaporates and the carrot mixture has reduced to 1/4th of original consistency.If using a saucepan, keep cooking the mixture until the carrots are soft and the milk has reduced to 1/4.
- Add in 2 tbsp of ghee to the cooker and mix well, it would have developed a shine a thick consistency.
- Add in the raisins and mix well, don't forget to scrape the sides, to collect all that goodness!
- In a small pan, add in the remaining ghee and add in the almonds and cashews. Saute well.
- Add in the dry fruits and mix well.
- Garnish the halwa by grating a pistachio on top and enjoy!
