Tuesday 29 October 2013

Gaajar Halwa/Carrot halwa and lots of memories....:)

Gaajar halwa... one of our favorite halwas...I am surprised that i did not post  gaajar halwa earlier.There are lots and lots of memories associated with gaajar halwa.. so many..

A very popular Indian sweet made with grated carrots.





 I can say that this is one of the items i used to make in my initial cooking days...first for my cousin brothers with whom i was staying in Delhi and then for navin .This used to be one item i always used to make  to welcome Navin home when he used to come from ship after months on board.For my brothers i used to make with 2-3 kg of  red carrots .My only condition when told to make gaajar halwa would be that they help me in grating it. So the eldest one Babloo( i miss him, he is no longer with us) would sit with me and help grate it.Those were fun times.We shared a special brother sister bond and we would talk and laugh while grating those huge amounts of carrots.. We used to do it manually on an ordinary grater...By the time i  got married and started making it for navin i had the hand blender and would grate carrots in it.

Now all things apart .. the best carrot halwa is what my amma makes.. she has the patience to roast the halwa till the carrots take  a  very light brownish tinge or should i say deep orange or rust colour.. not sure.. all i know is that they are the BEST(this time i did it too)...as i am writing this i am able to remember that taste and i am missing it..One more carrot halwa related memory i have to write.. my ammumma(maternal g.mother) who is all of 87 made gajar halwa for me when i was pregnant. She was so adamant that she will make it from scratch.She did not even let my aunt grate the carrots for her. She sat and did it on the grater.. ya the old fashioned way.And i enjoyed it. Am i not lucky to have such a doting grandmother??

Halwa made from grated carrots

U know what.. this post is more about my memories than about the recipe.. I make gajar halwa like everybody does.. i normally don't measure the ingredients.. it all goes in automatically... no standards...but for writing this post i did measure.
I never add khoya to my gaajar halwa.I have tasted the one with khoya in Delhi and i don't like it.Also i prefer to have my halwa cold. Navin likes it hot.Well, that's how they have it in d\Delhi.Come winter and the sweet shops in Delhi start serving gaajar halwa and moong dal halwa..both piping hot...fit for the very cold winters.. i am suddenly missing the Delhi winters.... Winters are good in Dubai too... waiting for it..:) :)

Ok.. now after the bombardment of memories, i am going to how i made the gaajar halwa..carrot halwa or the gajrela..:)

Ingredients i used

4 cups grated carrot
3 cups milk
less than 3/4 cup sugar(adjust according to your taste)
5 tbsp ghee
 3-4 green cardamoms
 Cashew and almonds for garnish
you can fry them in ghee..1tbspn ghee

How i made it?

Take  a thick bottomed vessel and pour the milk into it and add the carrots and  let it come to a boil.(My basic rule is that the carrots are just immersed in milk).
Keep stirring. You do not want the carrots sticking to the bottom.When all the milk is absorbed by the carrots and the whole thing becomes thick add in the ghee and  half quantity of the sugar.Keep mixing.
The sugar is added after the carrots reduce , other wise it can turn too sweet.
When the halwa is thick in consistency and the carrots turn deep orange , adjust the sugar by adding more.
Keep mixing  a little while after mixing sugar.
Once done remove from stove and add in the crushed cardamom powder.
Garnish with fried cashew and almonds..( i love it  even without these).
Have it hot or cold..it tastes awesome anyway...:)

Grated carrot halwa

 So what sweets are you making this Diwali??For other recipes to make during Diwali , do check out these- Maladu,Oats Payasam,Superquick coconut ladoos.


A very very popular indian halwa made with grated carrots





2 comments :

  1. we also call gajrela and is made in delhi winters at our home in huge quantities with just milk and sugar. we also don't add khoya.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Omg i wat that bowl of irresistible halwa..

    ReplyDelete

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