Gaajar ka Halwa ~ Carrot Halwa

There are certain sweets that you can associate with some particular season. Carrot Halwa or Gaajar ka Halwa is one such Indian sweet that I associate with Winters. I remember how my mom used to painstakingly shred kilos of carrot to prepare this dish. It must have been a tedious job for her to keep up with the demands of 4 kids. Every time it was prepared in our house, it was a special treat. It is amazing how a dish can bring so many fond memories.

In India, red carrots are preferred for making this dish. Since, we don't get it here, I have used the regular carrots. Red carrots do add a special note to this dish but regular works just fine. Lets see how I make it.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded carrots.
1 tbsp ghee
1 cup milk.
¼ cup sugar or less.
A few strands of saffron.
2 cardamom pods crushed.
Almond flakes and chopped pistachios to garnish.

Process:

1. Heat a pan and add ghee. Add the shredded carrot and give it a good stir. In a tbsp of milk soak a few saffron strands.
2. After 2-3 minutes add the milk and heat the mixture on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. The milk will reduce and thicken. Add the sugar and mix it properly. Heat for another 5 minutes. 
4. Add crushed cardamom pods,saffron milk  Keep heating and stirring till the mixture gets the required consistency.
5. It may take another 5-10 minutes.Remove from heat when done. Transfer in a serving bowl. Garnish it with chopped almonds and pistachios. Serve hot.

Note:
1. Always use freshly grated carrot for this dish otherwise the color of carrots will turn brown.
2. You can add a little condensed milk if you have it at hand.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great weekend. Cheers!

Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons and Garlic Butter

As days are passing by, it is getting colder here. The most comforting thing you can have in such weather is a hot bowl of soup. This soup is by far my favourite soup and gets a place in my menu very often. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients:

6 medium sized tomatoes
1 small onion
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar to taste, optional

1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic grated
A generous pinch of Italian mixed herbs or basil

2 slices to breads
A splash of olive oil, about 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp mixed herbs

Process:

1. Chop the tomatoes in large chunks. Peel the carrot and chop it in chunks. Slice the onions and mince the garlic. Add all these in a pressure cooker and add about 200 ml of water and cook it till 1 whistle on medium high.
2. While it is cooking mix butter, grated garlic and mixed herbs/basil and prepare a flavored butter.
3. Remove all the edges from the bread and cut into small equal pieces. Toss them with olive oil and mix herbs and spread them on a lined bling tray. Put them in a a oven preheated at 180 C and bake for 3-4 minutes. Toss them again and bake for another 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye, as they get burnt very easily. When baked, they will be crisp and light golden in color.
4. One the ingredients in the cooker are cooked. Cool them a bit and then churn into a fine purée.
5. Sieve the purée to make it smooth. Heat a pan and add the liquid mixture into it. Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste. If you want the soup to be thinner, add water accordingly.
6. Serve it hot topped with a little flavored butter and herbed croutons.

Tip: If your soup gets thinner than you like then it can be rectified in the following way. Mix about 1/2 tsp of corn flour( or more to make it more thick) in 3-4 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste. Add it to the boiling soup. Keep stirring and the soup will get thick.

Enjoy this soup on a cold evening!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!