Carrot halwa

Ingredients: 

 
3 cups - carrot, grated (Around 7-8 carrots)
1 cup + 3tbsp - sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp - ghee (semi-solid)
4 - cardamon
Raisins, a handful
Cashews, a handful
A pinch or a drop - kesari powder (Orange color)
Salt, a pinch

Method

• Wash the carrots in running water.
• Using a pairing knife gently scrape the outer skin.
• This is just to remove any dirt sticking to the carrot.
• Use a shredder/grater attachment that will yield fine grated carrot.
• Whenever your hand hurts try to grate it with other hand.
• In a large kadai/wok, add carrot, a pinch of salt and saute until the water in carrot evaporates and the raw smell disappears.
• Vegetables naturally have some water content and we will make use of it in this recipe without adding water.
• It will easily take 25 minutes on a medium flame.
• Towards the end of 25 minutes reduce the flame as the carrot might start sticking to kadai.
• Reduce the flame to low (2 or 3 on gas stove).
• Add sugar and keep stirring.
• Never give up, otherwise your halwa might stick to the pan. Add a pinch of kesari powder.
• Let it cook for 10 minutes, then add ghee and keep stirring.
• After 15 minutes, remove it from flame.
• Crush the cardamon using a pestle and mortar or a chappati rolling pin.
• If you find it hard to crush add a pinch of sugar while crushing.
• Meanwhile fry raisins and cashews in 1 tsp of ghee until the raisins puff up.
• Add cardamon powder, raisins, cashews and stir it well to mix.
• Serve it warm. You can even add a scoop of ice-cream while serving.

Notes: The initial frying time of carrot depends up on the carrot quality.