Carrot Halva

Halvas are eaten from Bosnia to Bangladesh, and as far South as Somalia. This is a recipe for a delicious sweet dish, known as Gajor Halua in Bangladesh. This is an exciting, cheap, fairly healthy, gluten free pudding.

You need:

1 kg carrots/ 2.2lb

1 litre/ 2 pints milk

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons almonds (blanched& flaked)

2 tablespoons pistachios

450 grams/ just under 1lb Sugar

To make it:

1. Soak the raisons in water for about half an hour
2. Prepare the carrots: wash, peel and grate them.
3. Bash the pistachios, in a plastic bag, into small pieces with a rolling pin.
4. Put the water into the pan. When it starts to boil add the carrot. Cook for 6 mins.
5. Pour in the milk and cook gently for one hour. You will need to stir it now and then
6. Add the sugar, mix thoroughly, cook until all of the sugar has dissolved and the milk is absorbed by the carrot.
   
7. Add the ghee (clarified butter). Simmer for 2 or 3 mins.
8. Add the crushes cardamom (or powder) and the soaked raisins. Mix again.
9. Remove from the heat and put into a serving dish.
10. sprinkle the nuts on top.
11. You can serve this hot or cold
    

Alternatives
There are many other types of halva, and hopefully we will be able to share some more here. To give this sweet an amazing (and natural) colour, why not add sliced beetroot, which you can remove before serving, to the milk?

Photo with thanks to Peter Rivera