A different gajar halwa, with chunky carrots and caramelized condensed milk…
Tomorrow is Eid, Alhamdulillah… It feels like it has been long since we got thirty days of Ramadan, but then my cousin reminded me that we had 30 days in 2024. Just that I don’t remember. After 2020, the gap between days, months and years have blurred so immensely that nothing seems to stay in mind. The concept of time just seems to have changed. Is it just for me?
This Ramadan was different, almost like the Covid Ramadan. Though we still went on with everything Ramadan is supposed to be, there was this constant fear, alerts and alarms we lived through, the bubble of safety being burst. Yet, Alhamdulilah, I can’t but be grateful for being in this beautiful country, that treats all of us the same and protects everyone, without any difference. With the news around not being very encouraging, all we can do is to keep our faith high, minds protected and always in a state of belief because we are clearly told nothing in this world happens except with the Almighty’s permission.
“With Him are the keys of the unseen—no one knows them except Him. And He knows what is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything—green or dry—but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.”
(Surah Al-An’am:59)
Coming to the recipe for today – I would call this “the lazy gajar ka halwa”. Why, you may ask. There is no grating involved. Isn’t that amazing news? Hehe… I know we have processors to do that job, but cleaning it is an even bigger hassle. My “grater” is Rasha, she somehow doesn’t hesitate to grate carrots. I don’t know whether it is because she doesn’t want to say “no” or she just likes doing it. Sometimes, I don’t want to disturb her and convince her to do it. That is when I saw this idea from an Instagram reel – to peel and chop the carrots into pieces. I know it seems odd but I really wanted to try it. There are these amazing red carrots in the market, and it is perfect time to make this halwa. Plus Eid’s biriyani is always followed by something sweet, and it necessarily doesn’t need to be complicated. 😉
This is a totally one pot dish and very easy to make. Plus, it hardly needs any ingredients. The caramelized factor comes from the condensed milk. After cooking the carrots, and then sauteing it till it dries, the condensed milk caramelizes and gives a deep amber shade to the dessert. Since the carrots are chopped rather than grated, you finish off by smashing all the carrots unless you have a texture you like – mushy or with the bites. There are already a few gajar halwa recipes on the blog, and this has now become my new favorite, because this is the laziest I have made. 😉
Thakabalallah minna waminkum… I don’t know when I will come back to this space, but I hope In Sha Allah I will keep showing up myself here, at least occassionally… 🙂 Off to the recipe… and don’t forget to explore the desserts section if you need ideas for your Eid desserts…
Caramel Gajar Halwa
Ingredients
- 750 gm red carrots
- 2 tbsp ghee
- Handful almonds and cashews
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- A pinch of saffron crushed
- 1 tin condensed milk
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the carrots. Chop into equal sized peices.
- In an instant pot or pressure cooker, heat the ghee and fry the nuts.
- Add in the chopped carrots and toss in the ghee. Cook for some time, tossing till the color slightly changes.
- Add the condensed milk completely and give a good toss.
- Add 1 tin and a little more of water, to cover the carrots. Add in the cardamom, saffron and salt.
- Close the lid. If using an instant pot, put the timer on 30 minutes in pressure cooker mode and let it be. If in a normal pressure cooker, cook on high flame till whistle is almost coming, then reduce the flame to bear minimum and let it cook for 30 minutes.
- Switch off and allow the pressure to go by itself.
- Now open the lid, and switch on the flame/ put on "saute" mode.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, till the water is completely dried up. Stir to avoid the bottom getting stuck. As you stir, break down the carrots.
- Switch off, using a hand beater, break down the carrots completely to the texture you prefer.
- Serve hot or cold and enjoy.