Carrothalva Recipes

Steps:

• Melt ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots; cook and stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
• Combine water and sugar in a bowl; stir to dissolve. Add to the saucepan with the carrots. Stir in raisins and cardamom. Cook and stir until raisins are plumped and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Steps:

• Grate the carrots with the fine blade of your food processor or with a box grater.
• Melt the ghee in a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. Meanwhile, crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle or with a heavy saucepan. Discard the papery pods and crush the seeds to a semi-fine powder. Add to the ghee and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Tumble the grated carrots into the scented ghee. Cook, stirring every now and then, until slightly deepened in color, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in the milk, sugar and a good pinch of salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Twist the lid in place and ensure it is sealed (refer to the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid). Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Follow the guide again for quick-release of pressure, then carefully open and stand back!
• Place over high heat again. Stir in the powdered milk and currants and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. The halwa should have a puddinglike consistency. Sprinkle with the pistachios and serve either warm or cold.

Steps:

• In a large pan, bring the milk to a boil. Add the grated carrots to the pan and return the mixture to a boil.
• Add the cardamom pods and bay leaf to the pan. Lower the heat to prevent the milk from burning and continue to simmer the milk, stirring at regular intervals to prevent it from catching on the base of the pan.
• After approximately 2 hours, when all the milk has been absorbed, add the ghee or butter and the sugar. Continue to stir for a further 20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the carrot paste is moist but with no excess liquid let in the pan.
• Serve the carrot halwa while still warm. I prefer to bring a large serving bowl to the table, and encourage everyone to help themselves, taking as little or as much as their personal sweet tooth dictates! Alongside the halwa, serve bowls of almond or pistachio slivers, to scatter over the halwa, and thick whipped cream, to dollop on the side.

Steps:

• In a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet (don't use nonstick) over medium heat, melt ghee, then add carrots. Stir until carrots are well coated with ghee. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until carrots are somewhat dry and caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often so they don't scorch.
• Once the carrots are nice and dried out, stir in the milk and cardamom and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the milk has reduced and is almost fully absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the sugar, mix well to combine, and cook 5 to 8 more minutes until the mixture is almost dry and jammy. Serve warm or cold with toasted nuts sprinkled over the top.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add carrots. Cook and stir briefly, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk and increase heat; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Bring carrot-milk mixture back to a boil. Add sugar, raisins, cardamom, and saffron. Cook and stir until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Ladle carrot halwa into 8 individual serving dishes. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon pistachios. Serve warm or chill before serving.

Steps:

• Place the carrots and both milk in a pan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring often, until liquid disappears, about 25 minutes. As the halva cooks down you must stir more and more frequently to prevent it from burning.
• Add sugar, raisins, cardamom, cloves and the ghee (or butter). Continue to cook, stirring frequently, and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent the mixture from sticking.
• Cook until the halva is very thick and forms a ball in the center of the pan as it is stirred, about 20-25 minutes.
• Turn the halva mixture out onto a greased 9-inch square baking dish, smoothing out the paste to an even thickness.
• Arrange the almonds on top, pressing them into the halva slightly.
• Score the top of the halva into rectangles, then cover and chill until firm. Cut completely the halva into triangles to serve.

Steps:

• Peel and grate carrots.
• Put milk and carrots in a heavy saucepan.
• Boil till thick, stirring occasionally.
• Once it starts thickening, stir continuously.
• Add sugar and cook further till thickens.
• Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour.
• Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out.
• Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.

Steps:

• Cook grated carrots with about a cup of milk till soft. You can do this in a thick bottomed pan. Once the milk starts boiling reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer.
• Add the rest of the milk and continue to simmer. After 15-20 minutes, when all the milk is evaporated, add condensed milk to the dry mixture and tip in the sugar as well. Check the amount of sugar , you may require very less sugar as condensed milk is very sweet in itself. Let it simmer till condensed milk also is absorbed and mixture thick.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well.
• The next step is optional. In an another deep pan heat ghee, transfer cooked halwa to it and cook for another minute making sure you stir it with out fail all the way through.
• To serve: - Chop raw almonds, vertically if u can as it looks better that way, and layer them at the bottom of your presenting dish. Layer your halwa on top. This makes the almonds soak in the lovely juices from ur halwa and combines the mixture. This is a tip I learned from my dear friend A. Thanks dear. :-). Feel free to sprinkle a few chopped almonds on top of ur halwa too. - While serving scoop out large portions of ur halwa on to ur serving dish and serve it hot along with a scoop of yummy vanilla ice cream. Heaven!!!
• For an easy microwave method, heat ghee in a MWO safe bowl for 1 minute and add grated carrot. Cook for 2 minutes. Add milk and cook till milk evapourates, stirring occasionally. When the mixture thickens, add condensed milk and sugar. Again cook for another few minutes till mixture turns thick once again. Remove from MWO, add cardamom powder, garnish with almonds and serve.
• A variation to the recipe is adding khoa or grated paneer. I personally do not prefer this as the end result is ever so slightly too sour to my palate.

Steps:

• Put the carrots, pierced cardamom pods and milk in a heavy-based pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hr, stirring frequently until the milk has evaporated.
• Heat the butter in a deep pan, and stir-fry the carrot mixture for about 15-20 mins until darkened in colour and it has lost its wet, milky appearance.
• Add the sugar, raisins and almonds or pistachios, and stir-fry the halwa for another 5 mins. Serve hot. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to six months.