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Indian Carrot Halwa Dessert
This typical Indian dessert recipe is really simple to make. You need to cook it on the stove for half an hour so you can make it at the same time as making your entrees, as long as you remember to stir it often so it does not stick to the pan. Carrot halwa, also known as gajar halwa or gajar halva, is a really taste dessert, enhanced with nuts and raisins as well as a pinch of cardamom to give it a spicy kick. Use white sugar for a general sweetness or brown sugar for more of a caramel flavor in the finished dessert.
You might find it strange to base a dessert on a vegetable but think about sweet potato pie or carrot cake. Carrots have a natural sweetness so you can make sweet or savory dishes with this versatile vegetable and most countries use carrots in their recipes and sometimes in their national dishes too. Carrots are one of the most common vegetables to serve alongside meat, poultry or fish dishes and their colorful appearance also makes them an attractive ingredient for casseroles, stir fries and recipes like carrot cake when you want some brightly colored flecks in the cake.
This thick, warm dessert is a wonderful way to finish a meal, although you might choose to serve it hot from the pan or chilled instead. It is good all those ways. Serve it alone, Indian style, or with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.
Traditional Gajar Halwa Recipe
Ingredients -
¾ cup brown or white sugar
1 cup coarsely grated peeled carrot
3 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 cup milk
Finely chopped almonds, raisins, pistachios and cashews
Pinch of ground cardamom
Preparation:
Melt the butter or ghee in a skillet and sauté the carrot.
When it stops smelling raw, add the sugar and milk and cook gently for about half an hour, stirring the mixture frequently.
Add the nuts, raisins and some cardamom. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.
(Serves 4)
Wine Suggestion:
Wine Suggestion for Carrot Halwa Recipe
Try a sweet Riesling with its wonderful orange blossom and peach undertones. This dessert has plenty of texture and flavor and a sweet Riesling would be perfect with it. If you prefer Chardonnay, that would also be a good match here. The rich creaminess of this medium-bodied wine would go well with carrot halwa, complementing the spice and nut flavors.
Photo Description:
As you can see from the picture, this orange-red dessert is really appetizing. It will smell amazing and the cardamom really does finish it off perfectly. You can serve carrot halwa after any Indian or Asian entree or in fact after any other kind of entree you want to make. This recipe is very easy to make and, as long as you remember to stir the mixture often, there is not really anything that could go wrong with it.
Using Carrot in Dessert Recipes
Vegetables are probably not the first thing that comes into your mind when thinking about dessert recipes unless you are thinking of a carrot halwa recipe in particular or another dessert containing carrots. The reason why carrots are one of the few vegetables to feature in desserts is mainly because of the sweet flavor. Carrots are naturally sweet so it makes sense that carrot cake would taste good, since the sweet flavor of the carrot works well. Carrot halwa is an Indian dessert which blends the carrot with cardamom, fruit, and sugar. Spices are great with carrot and this might be cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mace, or nutmeg.
Other Vegetables to Try
If you enjoy carrot halwa recipes, what about making a dessert with sweet potatoes or pumpkin next? Sweet potato pie is incredibly good and pumpkin can also be used to make a sweet pie recipe. These vegetables are great for desserts because they contain a good amount of natural sugars.
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