Food: carrot pudding [gajor halwa]

I have always found it weird when vegetables were used to make a dessert. I refused to even taste them when I was younger. However, I have grown to accept this fact as I got older :D This sweet dish is quite popular amongst the brown crowd. The term "halwa" refers to mashing up everything together. Then you make different shapes with it. The carrot halwa can be made flaky like this recipe or can be blended to make a finer pudding. A few simple fresh ingredients make this sweet dish.........

Ingredients, 

8 large carrots :: 1/2 cup butter :: 3 cardamom pods :: 1" bark of cinnamon

1 bay leaf :: 1/2 tsp cardamom powder :: 2 cups whole milk :: 1/3 cup half n half

1 egg :: 1 cup sugar :: pinch of salt :: 1 tsp ghee :: nuts and raisins for sprinkle

Take the carrots and peel their skin.

Then start the grating process. You can choose how flaky you want your pudding by choosing the size of the grate. 

Heat the butter in a pan. Let it acquire a little bit of golden hue. Then toss in the cardamom pods, cinnamon and bay leaf. 

When the whole spices are fragrant toss in the grated carrots and stir until the orange color acquires a darker hue. This will make sure that all the carrots are evenly coated with the butter. Stir off and on for about 15 minutes on medium high. Add the pince of salt here. 

Add the milk and the half an half and the cardamom powder. And cover and cook.

When the liquid has almost evaporated, add the egg. Beat the egg well before your pour it in.

When the egg starts to coagulate with the carrots, add the sugar. You can choose how sweet you want it to be. Stir off and on again. This is the finishing part. I like to make sure all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots acquired more color before I turn the stove off. The oil will also start to separate. The mixture will try to come together to form a big ball. This is when you know you're done. Add the ghee right before you take it off the stove. You can serve it just like this with a sprinkle of nuts and raisins. Or you can make various shapes out of them. Bon appétit!