Gajar halwa recipe

INGREDIENTS:(measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 8 to 9 medium tender juicy carrots/gajar - yields approx 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots
• 4 cups full fat organic milk
• 4 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• 10 to 12 tbsp organic unrefined cane sugar or regular sugar or as required
• 20-25 whole cashews/kaju
• 5 to 6 green cardamom/chotti elachi, powdered finely in a mortar-pestle or about ⅓ tsp cardamom powder
• a pinch of saffron strands/kesar (optional)
• handful of golden raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

• rinse, peel and grate the carrots.
• in a kadai or deep thick bottomed pan combine milk and grated carrots.
• on a low to medium flame, bring the whole mixture to a boil and then simmer.
• while the mixture is simmering on a low flame, keep on stirring in between.
• the grated carrots will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate.
• when the milk has 75% reduced, add the ghee, sugar and powdered cardamom to the mixture.
• stir well and continue to simmer and cook on a low flame.
• do keep on stirring the gajar halwa in between.
• towards the end, add the cashews, crushed saffron and raisins and simmer till all the milk is evaporated. switch off the burner.
• serve gajar halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.