# Carrot Halway, any tricks?



## jpinmaryland (May 13, 2006)

SOrry the title should be Halwat or something..

I made this today for the first time. It's a dish from India. I didnt have the powdered milk and so I used milk, Philly cream cheese, butter, grated carrots, sugar and cardamon and raisens. It came out pretty good for a first try. A couple of questions...

What is the effect of the powdered milk? Does it thicken it better? 

How long do you usually take to reduce it down? I guess mine took a couple of hours but can you reduce the cooking time? 

Other spices to use? I know they add nuts, what else? saw some colorful bits (yellow and orange?) when I had this in a restaurant. what were those?


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## Michael in FtW (May 14, 2006)

Interesting question .... and would be interested in the recipe you used.

I found several recipes for _Gajar-ka-Halwa_ (aka carrot halwa) but none called for powdered milk or Philly cream cheese.


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## jpinmaryland (May 14, 2006)

There were no recipes that used Philly creme cheese, I decided to substitute it since most of the recipes I saw used heavy creme. I figured what the **** how can you go wrong with Philly creme? 


THere were a number (at least two) that had powdered milk. I will try to google it again...


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## jpinmaryland (May 14, 2006)

Try these two sites for powdered milk recipes:

http://www.kuttyjapan.com/tamilrecipes/recipe_detail.aspx?id=1438

http://www.punjabilok.com/rasoi/recipes_10.htm


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## Yakuta (May 14, 2006)

I had posted my recipe for Gajar ka Halwa (Gajar is the Hindi word for Carrots) in this forum.  I don't think it got much notice because for a lot of people it's too exotic. 

I would not use Cream Cheese as a substitute in any Indian halwa I mean from an authenticity standpoint.  If you want a recipe that is as close to being authentic without being complicated I would use what I have listed below. 

Also the milk powder is normally to make Khoya (a rich buttery cheese) that has a texture similar to a rich ricotta just a whole lot drier.  Indian sweets use khoya to give their sweets a buttery taste.  If you want to make khoya use the following technique.  Use 2 cups of whole milk ricotta, half a stick of unsalted butter and cook it down until there is hardly any liquid left.  Add a cup of milk powder and stir it all to combine and reserve.  Khoya to me is optional and I dont think it makes any difference to the end product other than perhaps adds a tad bit more richness. 

Gajar Ka Halwa

6 cups of grated carrots 
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups of heavy cream
1 stick of unsalted butter (this is not a low fat dish  )
1 tsp of freshly ground cardamom powder
2 big pinches of saffron
Assorted nuts (not salted or roasted) powdered or sliced (I don't like raisins in my version but you can add them if you like)
A bit more sugar to adjust sweetness

In a heavy bottom pot (non-stick preferred) add the carrots, condensed milk and heavy cream and cook it all down until the carrots are a mush.  It takes time and patience and elbow grease (dont forget about it else it will be burnt).  When the water from the carrots, milk and cream is almost gone add the butter, cardamom, saffron and half the nuts and saute the carrots in them until the color becomes almost a seinna (15 -20 minutes of constant stirring).  

Remove in the bowl, top with the remaining nuts and serve at room temperature.  A little goes a long way and it's truly delicious. 

Now if you were to use Khoya (the recipe is listed above).  You would add that to the halwa at the last minute with the butter and keep sauting the carrots this time with the butter, khoya, cardamom, saffron and nuts.  The khoya gives the halwa a more buttery texture but I don't use it all the time. 

All the best, try and let me know if it met your expectations.


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## jpinmaryland (May 14, 2006)

No sugar in this yakuta? THe recipes that had sugar in them, they added it at the last minute as well.

Okay so now I've made Gulab Jumon and Halwa, what should my next indian dessert be?


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## Yakuta (May 14, 2006)

Hi JP, the sweetened condensed milk has a lot of sugar.  Keep in mind as the water from the carrots evaporate the flavors become more concentrated and sweeter and that is why I said a little sugar at the end to adjust sweetness.  If you add a lot of sugar in the begining you may end up with something where you only experience the sugar and not the other flavors.  

There are a lot of desserts to try  for some the level of complexity is higher and in others it's lower.  Here is a recipe for the classic Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer).  The Indian version is not baked and is not as thick as the American version and uses saffron and cardamom which are quintessential to Indian desserts.  I bought some over to an American friends house and it vanished in a few minutes. 

1 cup of cooked rice - You can cook any kind of rice in water until it's extremely soft and mushy (so use more water to cook it)
1 can of condensed milk
2 cans of evaporated milk
2 cups of half and half
Sugar to taste (start with a cup and a half)
2 pinches of cardamom
2 pinches of saffron
assorted nuts powdered

In a thick bottom pan add the evaporated milk, half and half and condensed milk.  Add the rice and let this all cook for atleast 30 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.  Ensure that you keep stirring to avoid the milk and rice from sticking.  Again as most of the desserts we make it requires a lot of elbow grease (it's quite a workout for the arms  ).  

Next taste, adjust sugar and add half the powdered nuts, saffron and cardamom.  Let it cook for another 10 minutes or so.  

Take it off the stove and place a seran wrap on it's surface to avoid skin formation.  Chill in the refrigerator and serve in individual bowls with a sprinkling of the powdered nuts.


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## jpinmaryland (May 15, 2006)

I decided to make my version of Lassi to finish of the dinner which turned out well (chinese cabbage soup, noodles/peanut sauce, sour curry pork/vegetables).  

The lassi had coconut milk, honey, cardamon, ice and that was about it. Not sure if that's the exact recipe. 

My wife is picky about nuts so I didnt use them in the carrot Halwa.

Thanks for your help..


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## Yakuta (May 15, 2006)

Lassi is made with yogurt along with some milk nad sugar and blended until forthy.  There is a mango version as well.  There are no nuts in a lassi.


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## jpinmaryland (May 15, 2006)

they also put cardamon in the lassi, I thought. Any other spices to put in these milky drinks?


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## jpinmaryland (Feb 25, 2008)

Hey I made my second version of this and it really came out well. This time I used yogurt and condensed sweetened milk. Smaller portions than in the original Yakuta recipe; about 3 medium carrots, about 7 oz. of condensed sweetened milk and about 5-6 oz of yogurt.

This time I really got that milky, sort of powdered milk taste in there and it's really nice.

I want to ask Yakuta or anyone: what is the right consistency for this when you finish cooking? Mine came out like about as thick as a milky way bar or a almond joy or some candy bar. Is this about right?

Do you store in the fridge? When you serve it again do you re-heat? I wouldnt think so.

I added some nutmeg to mine thinking it would be good for the nut effect w/o nuts but probably the cardamon overpowers it...


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