CARROT AND ALMOND PUDDING/ GAJAR AUR BADAM KA HALWA

             Carrot halwa a.k.a., gajar ka halwa is a famous North Indian dessert, made with grated carrots, milk, sugar and clarified butter as main ingredients.  
             Carrot halwa is really nostalgic.... I guess it's the same with most of us! right? During school days, this palate teasing dessert would always have a special corner, especially, during the after school munching sessions :) But then, if mom happens to make it during weekends, the grating work would be mine :( I would even sacrifice the dessert for skipping this tedious job! How i hated it.... poor me.... I would wonder why is it necessary to grate it..Why not grinding? I would mull over this thought but never had courage to try it before.. Then, of course stories have twists!!

              Once i happened to taste carrot halwa from a sweet stall called 'sathya sweets' at Kallakurichi, a town in Tamil Nadu. They make halwa with grounded carrot and i must admit, they taste awesome and hence the post.....
But, i had just a few of these orange veggies hence, i added some grounded almond to the dessert.. And what else would one expect from these ingredients.... Nothing other than awesomeness!!

CARROT AND ALMOND PUDDING RECIPE

Cuisine - North Indian

Category - Dessert

Cooking time - 1 hour

Serves - 3 to 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
Carrot (roughly chopped) - 1 cup (heaped)
Milk (full fat) - 2 cups
Sugar - 2/3 cups (or as desired)
Salt - a pinch
Almonds - 2 tablespoons
Cashew nuts (chopped) - 10 to 12 whole nuts
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Clarified butter (ghee) - 5 teaspoons

METHOD
1. Wash, peel and roughly chop the carrots. In a dry mixer grinder, add these chopped carrots and grind them to a fine paste. Don't add water while grinding.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and melt clarified butter. When hot, add chopped cashew nuts and saute till crisp and golden. Switch off. Transfer the cashews to a clean and dry bowl (leave the clarified butter in the pan itself).
3. In the same pan, add the grounded carrot and saute for about 5 minutes. Add milk and let it boil. Keep in medium flame. Keep cooking and turning till it reaches a semi solid state. Add in the sugar, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt. Reduce the flame completely.
4. Now, In a microwave safe vessel, add 2 tablespoons of almonds. Add enough water to soak them. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. The peel would have loosened by now, if not, microwave for another 30 seconds. Peel the almonds, pat it dry and grind them to a fine paste without adding water. Add this almond paste to the cooking halwa. The pace of cooking increases and the halwa begins to solidify.
5. Let it cook till it leaves the sides of the pan. The halwa would have a glossy look now. Turn off the flame and top with the roasted cashew nuts. Lip smacking dessert is all ready...Go grab a cup of it!!

TIPS
1. Soak almonds overnight and avoid the microwaving part. Just peel, pat dry and grind them directly.
2. Replace cardamom powder with a teaspoon of vanilla extract for an exotic flavour.
3. There is no hard and fast rule on the quantity of ingredients used, especially sugar and clarified butter (ghee), play over to suit your palate.
4. Use fresh and juicy carrots for best results.
5. Add a few saffron strands for garnishing if desired.
6. Always add a pinch of salt while making sweets, they make the dessert sweeter.