Easy Carrot Halwa ~ Nepali Dessert Sweet (Vegan option) (GF)

Carrot Halwa is a dish often made in Nepal for festivals or special guests. That's probably why my daughter is served it so often when she visits there. She has seen it being made in home kitchens so we decided to give it a try. The result was delicious: fresh tasting, not too sweet, and easy to store in the fridge and reheat.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Stars*

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ghee (or non-dairy butter substitute)

4 cups finely grated red carrots, tops and bottoms trimmed, then peeled (about 1 1/2 lbs or 700 gm) 

1 cup whole milk (250 gm), or more if needed (use Almond Milk or other non-dairy milk for paleo)

4-5 tablespoons white or light brown sugar (or use sugar substitute of choice for paleo)

1 tablespoon ghee (or non-dairy butter substitute)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

Optional toppings:

Coconut flakes, chopped cashew nuts, sultanas, pomegranate seeds, almond slivers

Directions:

1. Peel the carrots and grate them on the small side of a hand grater or in a food processor.

2. Heat a wok or frying pan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add the
shredded carrots and cook, stirring constantly for about 8 minutes until the carrots turn slightly brown.

3. Add the milk to the carrot mixture and cook it down, stirring constantly for 7-8 minutes or until the carrots have absorbed the milk.

4. Add the sugar and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Keep stirring until everything is
absorbed, about  6 minutes.

5. Add the cardamom powder and stir it in well. Dry roast the halwa for another
minute or two to deepen the color.

Carrots & Milk 
Cooking down

Serve warm if possible (although it is good cold also). Distribute evenly into 4 small bowls and add toppings as desired. Store uneaten halwa covered in the fridge for about a week.  To reheat, add a small amount of milk to a frying pan along with the halwa and heat up on low heat.

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*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.