How To Make Carrot Halwa

 

This traditional Gajar Ka Halwa is made with Carrots, Cream, Khoya, Sugar, Ghee and lots of Nuts. It's a delicious North Indian sweet but is relished on every occasion. Serve this classic, rich and creamy halwa and enjoy it with your loved ones!

Happy holi everyone!! Holi is a festival of colors and celebrated with great warmth and high spirit. It’s a major festival in India. It begins with the lightening of bonfire and welcome the new beginnings with open arms. This festival is incomplete without the exchange of gifts, fruits, dry fruits and sweets.

There are host of traditional delicacies that are relished on holi festival and make this occasion even more enjoyable like Pede, Kheer, Gujiya, Puranpoli, Malpua, Ladoo, Thandai, Rasmalai, Jalebi, Sevaiya or Gajar ka Halwa and many more.

This Holi, my Mother and I have made Gajar Ka Halwa. It's a traditional North Indian Sweet that both kids and adults can enjoy. It's a must try dessert for winter season. So do try this recipe with your friends and family and enjoy the day!

This dessert hardly needs any occasion to be prepared and relished. It keeps you warm and healthy and can be served at all festivals like Diwali, Eid, Holi, Raksha Bandhan.

This Carrot based sweet dessert pudding is so rich and satisfying that I can have it all day and night. The method is sure time consuming, but the halwa is so soft and delicious, and the aroma of the cardamom powder is absolutely irresistible. It’s a slow cooked dessert but if you know the proper method it doesn’t take much time.

All you need is fresh, sweet, and abundance of red carrots which is properly washed, peeled than grated. It goes into non stick pan. Add a lot of khoya, full fat cream, sugar, ghee and lots of nuts in it and your Gajar Ka Halwa is ready. 

So this was the simple recipe of your low fat, low calorie Gajar Ka Halwa. Make this Holi delicacy and also let us know how you like it in the comments below.

Gajar Ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa Recipe | 

 How To Make Gajar Halwa 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8 People

Author : The Food Root

Ingredients:

8-10 large carrots

1/2 cup full fat cream (milk cream)

5 tbsp sugar

1 cup crumbled khoya

4 tbsp ghee 

Chopped dry fruits of your choice - (optional)

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp cashews

2 tbsp almonds

1 tbsp raisins

1 tbsp pistachios

Method:

 

1. Wash the carrots and peel it with grater to discard the skin.

2. Heat the non stick pan, add the grated carrots, mix, and cook them till the quantity is reduced to half, on a medium flame. Stir continuously, until it  changes it's color. It will take around 12-15 minutes. 

3. Pour full fat cream in the pan and stir it continuously till it evaporates. It will take around 2 minutes.

4. Add sugar, as per your sweetness and mix it well. Cook for another 4 minutes on medium flame, while stirring continuously.

5. Next, add crumbled Khoya mix it well. Cover and cook them on a medium flame for around 10 minutes than stir it for a while.

6. Add ghee and mix it for next 2 minutes.

7. Add cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits and mix well for next 2 minutes.

8. And, your gajar ka halwa is ready. Turn off the heat, and let it rest for few minutes before serving.

Notes:

1. You can also add milk in Gajar Ka Halwa and boil it on low heat and keep stirring until the milk evaporates but it's totally optional.

2. I’ve added full fat cream instead of milk so that it doesn't take much time to get ready.

3. It tastes good without cardamom powder as well but the aroma of the cardamom powder in indian desserts is unbeatable.

4. Add chopped dry fruits of your choice.

5. You can also add vanilla ice cream on top of it and serve.

6. It can be prepared a day before or two before a large gathering. Just reheat gajar ka halwa at the time of serving.

7. You can also add some jaggery instead of sugar in the halwa.

8. You can increase or decrease sugar as per your taste.

9. Gajar ka halwa can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

10. Even adding ghee in the gajar halwa is totally optional.

Til Ladoo or Til Gun Ladoo or Sesame Ladoo

 

Til Ladoo or Til Gun Ladoo or Sesame Ladoo is a traditional sweet made during Makar Sankranti. This sweet is made with two main ingredients like sesame seeds and jaggery.

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival known by different names such as Pongal, Lohri, Bihu, Maghi and many other names. It is celebrated at the end of winters.

Some of the common food items eaten on Makar Sankranti are Til Gun ladoos, Puran Poli, Khichdi, Moongphali, Gajak, Gajar ka Halwa, and many others.

Here I’m making Til Gun Ladoo, which is a fuss free sweet, its a super delicious recipe so do give it a try! The best part of this recipe is that it is totally vegan, gluten-free and super healthy. It can be made in less than 20 minutes.

This traditional sweet delicacy is made with two main ingredients like sesame seeds and jaggery. You can also use nuts like walnuts, almonds and peanuts. I’m using peanuts in these ladoos. I’m also using desiccated coconut as it helps in binding the ladoo and helps to store the ladoo for a longer time.

Do try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you?

How to make Til Gun Ladoo or Sesame Ladoo

Serves : 3-4 People

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Author : The Food Root

Ingredients 

3 cups sesame seeds

1 cup organic jaggery, crushed
1/2 cup desiccated coconut (optional)

3/4 cup of nuts (optional)

like walnuts, almonds or peanuts. I’m using peanuts here.

Method

1. Roast white sesame seeds in a pan on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Transfer it to a plate. I have kept aside half cup of roasted sesame seeds in a bowl so that we can roll the ladoo in the last.

2. In the same pan, roast peanuts for at least 3 minutes on medium flame than peel off the skin. Than, roughly chop it and transfer it to the same plate.

3. Next, add desiccated coconut in a pan and roast it for 2-3 minutes and transfer it to the same.

4. When all the three ingredients cool down, (sesame seeds, peanuts, and desiccated coconut) coarsely grind them in a food processor for a minute. Add crushed jaggery and grind it again for 30 seconds and transfer it to all of this in one plate.

5. Next, make ladoos with your hands to form a ball. Now roll the ladoo in the 1/2 cup of sesame seeds which you have kept aside to add the texture and you are good to go. Your Til Gun ladoo is ready to serve.

Notes

1. You can use any type of nuts like walnuts, almonds or peanuts. Though I used peanuts just make sure when you are using peanuts remember to peel off the skin.

2. If you are allergic to desiccated coconut or any nuts you can skip it. 

3. You can increase or decrease the jaggery as per your taste.

 

Kheer or Rice Pudding prepared with the goodness of rice, milk, sugar, and garnish with crushed cardamom, dry fruits and nuts like pistachios, cashews and raisins.

Rice Kheer is easy to make, and is a one pan method. My family loves this recipe specially my brother. You can serve it both warm and and chilled and keep the leftover rice kheer in the refrigerator.

Kheer is generally made on the Sharad Purnima which is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day, marking the end of the monsoon season. It is considered to be the birthday of Goddess Laxmi. This year Sharad Purnima is falling on 30 October 2020.

As per ritual, kheer is left overnight in the moonlight and believe that the rays of the moon on Sharad Purnima has special healing properties. The next day it is consumed and distributed as prasad.

Kheer or Rice pudding is a popular dessert across the country as it is quick and easy to make. It can also be prepared on the holidays or special occasions like Diwali which is coming after a week or two.

Here is an easy recipe which you can give it a try. Write down in the comments below what you think about this recipe.

Kheer or Rice Pudding

Serves : 6 People

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 1 hour

Author : The Food Root

Ingredients

1 litre full fat milk

1/4 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup of sugar

Garnish it with crushed cardamom or your favorite choice of dry fruits or nuts like pistachios, cashews and raisins

Method

1. Rinse basmati rice with water to remove excessive starch.

2. Then soak the basmati rice for at least 15-20 minutes.

3. Take a deep pan and boil the milk on low flame.

4. Add rice and boil the milk and rice on low flame. 

5. You can add 1 cup of water, this step is totally optional.

6. Now keep stirring the rice, milk and water (in case if you added) so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

7. Continue to cook on the stove, and keep stirring it on low flame. 

8. Now when you realise that the kheer is almost 80% cooked, add sugar.

9. Keep stirring sugar for next 10 minutes or till it turns light brown.

10. Turn off the flame, and add cardamoms and your favourite nuts by slicing them.

11. You can also garnish the rice kheer by these dry fruits.

12. Serve it both warm or chilled and keep the leftover rice kheer in the refrigerator.

Notes :

1. Use basmati rice (or kheer wale chawal) as they are the best to make Kheer or Rice Pudding.

2. Use condensed milk in the kheer as it helps in making your kheer more sweet.

3. You can also add brown sugar instead of white if you want.

4. Adding 1 cup of water while boiling rice and milk together, is totally optional. (This trick of adding water helps as the mixture of rice pudding begins to thickens a lot.)

5. You can also garnish it with saffron strands.

6. In case you like cardamoms or dry fruits, you can slice them and add them in the kheer.

7. You can serve the kheer both warm or chilled and keep the leftover rice kheer in the refrigerator.

Rasmalai Recipe - How To Make Rasmalai Recipe - Diwali Dessert Recipe

Rasmalai is a classic rich dessert, consists of the delicate flattened cheese balls cooked in a sugar syrup and dipped in flavoured thickened milk (rabri).

Diwali is in full swing! Around this time of the year, everyone is in festive mood and so are we! Festivals like these are time to connect, share moments, make memories, with your loved ones and are based around eating. And, eating with friends and family are indeed the moments we want to cherish every time. The Food Root, wishes everyone a wonderful diwali filled with with love, laughter, and good-food.

Diwali festivities calls for home decor, shopping and lots of sweets. Today, I have an easy and delicious dessert to share with you which can be prepared in an hour. So, lighten up your homes with diyas and flowers and make one of the delicious festive dessert recipe - Rasmalai.

Rasmalai is both creamy and comforting, exactly what i’m craving now. It has a nutty flavour and have a beautiful colour. Rasmalai is soft, smooth and spongy and melt in mouth completely. My kitchen smells like a heavenly bliss when i made this and i’m already looking forward to making it again.

Rasmalai is an easy homemade recipe. It's bit time-consuming since they are so many parts but if you make strain paneer (chenna) and flavored thickened milk (rabri) together, you'll be able to pace yourself.

Choose your Rasmalai ingredients to make this delicious recipe. Ingredients like milk, cornflour, lime-juice, sugar, and nuts are needed to make this yummilicious dessert. You need to prepare strain paneer (chenna) and sugar syrup and dip rasmalai balls in the sugar syrup. After squeezing the balls you need to make the flavored thickened milk (rabri) and add the balls into it and serve it with saffron strands and crushed cardamoms on top of it. This dessert takes about 6 hours to freeze or preferably overnight.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what y'all think in the comments below. Don't forget to sign up for the email updates to get the new recipes delivered right to your inbox. Also, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Enjoy and have a wonderful diwali!🎉🎈
Much Love!

Rasmalai Recipe : How To Make Rasmalai Recipe (Diwali Dessert Recipe)

Serves : 6 People
Refrigeration time : 5-6 hours
Cooking time : 1 hour
Author: The Food Root
Rasmalai Calories : 188 (1 piece)

INGREDIENTS

For strain paneer/cheese (chenna)

4 cups cow’s milk
2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
2 tablespoon cornflour
1/2 cup water

For Sugar Syrup

4 cups water
1 cup sugar

For the Rabri (Flavored Thickened Milk)

4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
few strands of saffron
5-6 crushed pistachios
5-6 crushed cardamoms

METHOD

For strain paneer/cheese (chenna)

1. Pour 4 cups of cow’s milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil over medium heat. Switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup of water, so that the milk cool down to the room temperature.

2. After 5 minutes, add lime juice and stir the milk slowly till it’s completely curdled. Using a strainer get rid of excess water and collect the paneer/cheese (chenna) in the muslin cloth. Keep it aside for 20 minutes.

3. Start kneading the strain paneer/cheese (chenna) to get a smooth dough for 8-10 minutes or until it starts leaving oil.

4. Add cornflour in the chenna so that it soak extra moisture and let it rest for 10 more minutes.

5. Gently flatten the chenna to get 10-12 smooth balls and keep it aside.

Sugar Syrup

1. For the sugar syrup, combine 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar, in a pan, and let it to boil until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes.

2. Dip the rasmalai balls into the prepared syrup and and let it boil for 12-15 minutes and turn off the flame and you will see that balls have got spongy, fluffy and double in size. Now, let it cool down to room temperature for some time.

3. Squeeze the dumpling balls to remove extra sugar syrup and transfer it into the flavoured thickened milk (rabri).

Rabri (Flavoured Thickened Milk)

1. Heat 4 cups of milk in another pan and bring it to boil. Once it comes to boil, lower down.

2. After, 15 minutes when the milk slowly starts to thicken, add 1/4 cup of sugar, soaked saffron, crushed pistachios and cardamoms, and, continue stirring over medium heat. Turn off the flame and let it cool down.

3. After 10 minutes, transfer the balls into the flavoured thickened milk (rabri) and freeze well or refrigerate for 5-6 hours.

4. Pour them into serving bowls and top it up with saffron strands and crushed cardamoms.

NOTES

1. Keep extra lime ready with you, in case the milk doesn't curdle.

2. You can curdle the milk with both lemon and vinegar.

3. If possible, use cow’s milk to make rasmalai balls as it will softer their texture.