– a popular dessert in India – will delight lovers of natural sweets homemade. Cardamom gives the dessert an original taste and aroma.

Of course, carrot halva is not at all similar to the halva we are used to, either in taste, appearance, or consistency; they are only related by the fact that both are sweet, and even the presence of nuts. But the Indian delicacy may well please both adults and children or surprise your guests.

Need to:

• Fresh carrots – 900 grams (in other words, 1 kilogram minus peeling!)
• Butter – 150 grams
• Milk – 0.5 liters (preferably boiled)
• Granulated sugar - 150-180 grams (approximately 0.75 cups), if you like it VERY sweet, you can add a whole glass
• Raisins – about 2/3 cup, up to a whole glass
• Cashew nuts (peeled and lightly fried, but never salted) – 70-80 grams (this is the most expensive ingredient). You can replace it with lightly roasted almond slices (about 3 tablespoons), you can also try with peanuts (unsalted!!!)
• Ground cardamom - from 0.5 to 1 teaspoon, depending on your love for spices (you can try replacing it with ground cinnamon and adding ground cloves on the tip of a spoon - but it will be a completely different taste)

Preparation:

Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a fine grater.

Pour boiling water over the raisins, let stand for 8-10 minutes, then drain the water and cool the raisins.

Fry the nuts (if you bought unroasted) lightly (3-4 minutes) in a frying pan without oil. Chop the nuts into pieces with a knife, but not very finely. Some of the nuts can be left whole and set aside for decoration.

Next, melt the butter in a deep frying pan (sauce pan).

Place the carrots in a frying pan with oil, stir and fry on high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add milk and sugar, mix everything, bring to a boil, reduce the heat under the frying pan to medium and cook and simmer for another 30 minutes. During this time, the liquid in the pan will evaporate by more than half.

Add nuts and mix.

Add raisins and mix.

Add cardamom and mix everything again.

We continue to fry, stirring periodically (quite often) until the liquid from the pan has completely evaporated. It takes us 15-20 minutes, but the time may vary depending on the diameter of the frying pan and the features of your stove. When all the liquid has evaporated and the color of the carrots has darkened, turn off the stove and let the carrot mixture cool.

In principle, it’s already ready and you can eat it, but simply scooping the mass onto plates with a spoon is not so interesting, and it looks like porridge, not a tasty dessert. Therefore, put the cooled carrot mass on a tray or flat dish and use a spatula to form a layer 2-2.5 centimeters thick. Lightly compress this layer with the same spatula.

- This is one of my favorite desserts, combining cardamom, raisins and cashews and also not containing any flour. I love you very much Indian cuisine! And I cook it often (and this has almost nothing to do with the fact that my husband is from India :).

Since childhood, I have been in love with spices, their extraordinary aromas and beneficial properties. And Indian dishes are always filled to the brim with them!

And it will be made from their vegetables! I know this is hard to wrap my head around. When my Janu persuaded me to try this halva, I refused for a long time, but then I finally gave in! And I realized how much I had been losing all this time! Now Indian Halwa with Carrot is one of my favorite desserts!

And I started cooking it at home because I happened upon a sale of organic carrots and bought 5 kg!

So it occurred to me not only to eat it just like that (which is very good for hormones), to make salads with it, but also to finally try to make a real Indian dessert with my little changes! For example, I used coconut milk, not cow's. Also, instead of traditional Indian ghee, I made halwa on coconut oil. And finally, since I don’t eat simple sugar, I replaced it with maple syrup.

The halva was such a success (I apologize for the indiscretion) that I had to prepare it twice in a week.

I want to make it clear right away that Indian halva- this is not the one we are used to (Turkish from seeds), its consistency is also completely different, soft. But this should not stop you and I highly recommend that you try to cook it!

Carrot like any other vegetable, it is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and cellulose.

Cardamom called the "Queen of Spices". By the way, it is considered one of the most expensive spices (first saffron, then vanilla and then cardamom). This spice is widely used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Contains a large amount of minerals. Famous for its anti-carcinogenic properties (especially intestinal cancer), antibacterial, necessary for a healthy heart and blood vessels, gums.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Preparation time

Cooking time

1 hour 10 minutes

Total time

1 hour 20 minutes

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• Carrots, fresh, medium, grated coarse grater - 5
• Milk, coconut/cow, unpasteurized - 3 cups
• Coconut oil/ghee/butter - 2 tablespoons
• Green cardamom, crushed powder/seeds - ¼ teaspoon
• Sweetener, maple syrup/honey - ¼ cup
• Raisins - ¼ cup
• Cashews, raw and pre-soaked and dried - ¼ cup
• Vanilla - 1 teaspoon
• Saffron - a pinch
• Salt, Himalayan/sea - pinch

Having become familiar with what halva is made from, you will be able to expand your knowledge in the matter of creating your favorite delicacy and learn about the impressive beneficial properties product. Eastern sweetness, especially if you prepare it yourself, will become a worthy dessert for a cozy home tea party.

How is halva useful?

Halva, whose benefits and harm to the body are determined by the elements and vitamins contained in the base component, can become not only a delicious dessert for those with a sweet tooth, but also a dish that has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole.

1. Sunflower sweetness is a source of B vitamins, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The product’s content of all kinds of proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins E and D is highly valued.
2. Walnut or peanut halva, in addition to its high content of vitamins PP, D, B2 and B6, is a source of folic acid, promotes the regeneration of body cells and rejuvenation.
3. Sesame and tahini halva are an excellent antioxidant and a source of many vitamins and elements, which together help slow the growth of cancer cells and prevent their formation. By consuming sweets, you will be able to strengthen your body and fill it with energy.
4. Any type of halva is contraindicated in diabetes mellitus, exacerbations of gastrointestinal diseases, obesity.

What is halva made from?

Halva, the composition of which may vary depending on which product is taken as the basis for preparing the sweet, is prepared from natural products. At the right technology and without the addition of preservatives, the oriental delicacy is perfectly stored for up to two months.

1. Peeled sunflower seeds, nuts or sesame are used as the basic component to create the dessert.
2. Another constant component used to prepare halva is sugar, honey or caramel.
3. To give the base of the delicacy the desired texture and color, soap root extract is added to it.

Sunflower halva

Homemade halva will undoubtedly turn out tastier and healthier than store-bought counterparts. It does not contain preservatives, all kinds of stabilizers and other harmful impurities that are often added to industrial products. The composition of homemade sunflower halva is extremely simple and accessible to everyone.

Ingredients:

• peeled sunflower seeds – 0.5 kg;
• flour – 0.5 cups;
• sugar – 1 glass;
• water – 75 ml;
• oil – 150 ml.

Preparation

1. The seeds are fried in a dry frying pan until creamy.
2. Transfer the seeds to a blender container and grind to a fine puree.
3. Saute the flour in the same frying pan until creamy, add it to the crushed seeds and beat it again with a blender.
4. A caramel-colored syrup is made from water and sugar.
5. Pour oil into the caramel in a thin stream, then stir in a mixture of seeds and flour.
6. Transfer the mixture into a mold, let it cool and harden in the refrigerator.

Tahini halva – what is it made from?

Halva, the recipe for which will be described below, is prepared from peeled sesame seeds, which are pre-soaked in boiling water for at least two hours. For final cleaning, the seeds are washed in a saline solution, due to which the shell settles to the bottom and the kernels float to the surface, after which they are collected, washed and fried. You can avoid this process, which is difficult to do at home, by using ready-made tahini paste.

Ingredients:

• tahini paste – 4.5 tbsp. spoons;
• honey - 3 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation

1. Combine honey and tahini paste and mix.
2. Transfer the mixture into a mold and place it in the refrigerator for several hours.
3. After it hardens, it is cut into portions and sprinkled with sesame seeds and nuts if desired.

Indian halva

The following recommendations are for those who want to know how to make halva according to Indian recipe. This technology differs from any usual oriental one and is performed with semolina or with the addition of grated carrots, boiled with milk to a homogeneous paste. In addition to nutmeg, the sweet is often flavored with cardamom and other spices.

Ingredients:

• semolina – 250 g;
• milk – 750 ml;
• sugar – 300 g;
• butter – 200 g;
• raisins – 70 g;
• orange zest – 2 teaspoons;
• orange juice – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• nutmeg – 0.5 teaspoon;
• walnuts or cashews - to taste.

Preparation

1. Melt sugar in a thick-bottomed container and pour in boiling milk little by little.
2. Heat the mixture until the crystals dissolve, add orange zest and juice, raisins and nutmeg.
3. Fry the semolina in oil for 15 minutes, transfer to the milk mixture.
4. Simmer the mixture over low heat, stirring until the moisture is absorbed, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.

Uzbek halva - recipe

Next, about what Uzbek housewives make halva from. The basic component in this case is flour, which is initially sauteed in melted butter, and then brewed with milk and heated until thick and plastic. You can use sesame or chopped nuts as a breading for the balls formed from the resulting mass.

Ingredients:

• flour – 130 g;
• milk – 500 ml;
• sugar – 200 g;
• ghee – 130 g;

• walnuts and toasted sesame seeds.

Preparation

1. Heat melted butter in a saucepan, add flour, sauté until creamy.
2. Heat the milk to a boil, add sugar, pour it into a container with flour, stirring.
3. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, allow to cool slightly, and roll into balls.
4. Before serving, sprinkle or dip in sesame seeds or nuts.

Sesame halva

Will be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth eastern halva made from sesame seeds. The recipe can be made without adding cocoa, replacing it with a portion of flour or milk powder. The final result will depend entirely on the degree of grinding of the sesame seeds and on whether the grains were fried before use.

Ingredients:

• sesame – 300 g;
• powdered milk – 200 g;
• sugar – 100 g;
• butter – 200 g;
• cocoa – 2 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation

1. If desired, sesame seeds are dried and lightly browned in a dry frying pan, then crushed in a coffee grinder or blender.
2. Melt the butter, add the sesame mixture, heat, stirring, and cool.
3. Combine milk, sugar and cocoa in a bowl, add sesame seeds and butter, mix, transfer to a mold and compact.
4. After hardening in the refrigerator, it will be ready for tasting.

Turkish halva

Homemade halva, the recipe for which will be presented next, is one of the most popular desserts in Turkish cuisine. A sweet is prepared from semolina with the addition of Turkish mastic, which will give the dish a characteristic spicy taste and aroma. You cannot replace the additive with anything, if it is not available, it is better to prepare the delicacy without its participation.

Ingredients:

• semolina – 500 g;
• milk – 1 l;
• sugar – 500 g;
• butter and margarine – 130 g each;
• Turkish mastic – 3 pcs.;
• pine nuts – 70 g.

Preparation

1. Melt butter and margarine, add semolina and nuts, fry for 30-40 minutes until pinkish.
2. Boil milk with added sugar and mastic, pour into semolina with nuts, heat for a couple of minutes, stirring.
3. Leave the sweetness covered for 40 minutes, then serve with cinnamon, ice cream or pistachio flour.

Halva in chocolate

A true delight for those with a sweet tooth or those who have special respect for chocolate will be chocolate halva or sweetness prepared in chocolate glaze. In this case, the basis of the dessert is roasted peanuts until aroma appears, which can be replaced with other nuts or seeds if desired.

Ingredients:

• peanuts – 300 g;
• cocoa butter – 50 g;
• honey – 50 g;
• sugar – 40 g;
• chocolate – 150 g.

Preparation

1. Peanuts are fried, ground in a blender, honey and butter are added, mixed and placed in molds.
2. Place the pieces in the refrigerator until they harden.
3. Melt the chocolate, dip the halva in it, and let it harden on parchment in the cold.

Peanut halva

Like any other treat, peanut treats are incredibly tasty, satisfying and nutritious. Before use, nuts must be fried in a dry frying pan or in the oven, after which they are peeled, which can give the delicacy an unwanted bitterness. Vanilla sugar You can replace it with vanillin or another additive of your choice.

Ingredients:

• peanuts – 2 cups;
• sugar – 200 g;
• flour – 250 g;
• water – 1/3 cup;
• vanilla sugar – 1 packet;
• oil – 1 cup.

Preparation

1. The flour is sautéed until creamy in a dry frying pan.
2. Grind peanuts in a blender, mix with flour, butter and vanilla.
3. Boil water with sugar, pour in caramel syrup to peanuts with flour, stir, transfer to a form with parchment, leave under a press to harden.

Samarkand halva - recipe

The following recipe will help you find out what Samarkand halva is made from. The main ingredients in this case are walnuts or any other nuts and fried flour. If desired, the composition is supplemented with sesame seeds or other ingredients to enhance the taste, filling it with new aroma and piquancy.

Ingredients:

• walnuts – 250 g;
• sugar – 250 g;
• water – 2 glasses;
• flour – 250 g;
• sesame seeds and butter – 100 g each;
• vanilla sugar - 1 packet.

Preparation

1. Make a medium-thick syrup from water and sugar, boiling it for 7-8 minutes, stirring.
2. Allow the mass to cool slightly, then add chopped nuts, sesame seeds, butter, vanillin and sautéed flour.
3. Boil the base until thickened, transfer to a form with parchment.
4. The finished Samarkand halva is cut into portions and served with tea.

Flour halva

Even just flour will make it tasty treat, which you can pamper yourself and your family with a cup of tea. The dessert is complemented with oven-dried walnuts or any other nuts, which are mixed into the base or sprinkled on top of the sweetness. You can add a little vanilla to the composition for flavor.

Ingredients:

• powdered sugar – 300 g;
• ghee – 180 g;
• flour – 0.5 kg;
• nuts - to taste.

Preparation

1. Heat the oil, add flour in portions, and fry until it tastes nutty.
2. They interfere powdered sugar, warm up a little more and transfer to a pan with parchment, adding nuts.
3. The still warm flour halva is cut into portions and served.

Pistachio halva

Homemade pistachio halva turns out incredibly appetizing and delicious. Nice nutty taste and the unusual color of the dessert will satisfy the needs of every picky eater with a sweet tooth. Before serving, the dessert is well cooled in the refrigerator and only then cut into portions.

How to make halwa in Indian style

We're used to that halva is made from ground sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sugar or honey. Different in India. Halva is made completely differently here - most often from toasted semolina with the addition of milk syrup, sugar, nuts and dried fruits.

Indian halva more like a crumbly sweet pudding. It's best eaten hot. Sold in sweet shops, it costs from 10-20 rupees (about 6-12 rubles) per 100 grams. Indians pronounce its name as "halawa".

They love halva both in the north and in the south. In the north, vegetable halva is often offered for dessert or even as a snack - it is made from carrots, pumpkin or sweet potato. Grated vegetables are boiled in cream or milk until thickened. Fruit halva is very sweet and is eaten together with pastries. And in Kozhikode in Kerala in southern India they make halwa according to special recipe, it is called Kozhikkodan Halwa. It is made from maida (a variety wheat flour), ghee, coconut, cashews, add pineapple, etc. Karutha aluva, made from rice, is also popular in the south. This halva is almost black.

Sooji Halwa- semolina halva,
Sooji gajar Halwa- from semolina with carrots,
Sooji besan Halwa- from semolina and chickpea flour,
Gajar Halwa– carrot,
Aate ka Halwa - wheat halva,
Kaju Halwa – made from cashew nuts
Badam ka Halwa- almond.

Make halva Simply, all the ingredients for many types of halva are familiar to us. You need to choose quality butter. It is better to use light brown unrefined sugar, which is available in many supermarkets, both in Russian packaging and imported (Denmark, UK). In India, they add more sugar than in the given recipe. It takes about half an hour to prepare.

Semolina halva with raisins

2 3/4 cups (650 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg,
1/4 cup (35 g) raisins,
1 cup (200 g) butter (preferably ghee)
1 1/2 cups (225 g) semolina.
2 teaspoons orange zest or
1/4 cup hazelnuts or walnuts or other add-ins (see below)
juice of one lemon

1) Slowly melt the sugar in a cast iron, cauldron or thick-walled saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly so as not to burn. If there is no cast iron, see another option below.
2) When it turns light brown, reduce the heat and slowly pour in hot (!) milk. The sugar will crystallize.
3) Leave to dissolve over low heat.
4) Melt butter in a frying pan (saucepan) and fry in it semolina for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until lightly browned.
5) Add raisins, zest and juice (or nuts) to the caramelized milk.
6) Pour this mixture into the semolina.
7) Stir once or twice: break up any lumps, then cook for a few minutes over low heat, covered, to absorb the liquid.
8) Stir several times to loosen.
9) It is best to eat halva hot. It can be reheated by holding the pan in a large bowl of hot water. At the same time, you need to knead it, it will become more airy.

Another variant– if you don’t have a cast iron or thick-walled pan. Immediately pour hot milk with sugar or water with sugar and spices into the semolina.

Supplements tested: vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, various toasted nuts, fresh fruits, especially plums, apricots and peaches. All this should not be added at the last moment, but so that it cooks together a little.

Carrot halva

900 g fresh carrots,
3/4 cup (150g) butter,
2 cups (500ml) milk,
3/4 cup (150g) sugar,
3 tbsp. spoons of raisins,
3 tbsp. tablespoons almonds (or cashews), sliced ​​and lightly fried,
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.

1) Grate the carrots on a fine grater and fry for 10 minutes in melted water butter over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2) Add milk, sugar, raisins, almonds. Cook for another 20-30 minutes until it turns into homogeneous mass.
3) Cool, make a layer 2.5 cm thick, sprinkle with cardamom. Cut into pieces and serve as dessert.

Indian halva more like a crumbly sweet pudding. It's best eaten hot. Sold in sweet shops, it costs from 10-20 rupees (about 6-12 rubles) per 100 grams. Indians pronounce its name as "halawa".

They love halva both in the north and in the south. In the north, vegetable halva is often offered for dessert or even as a snack - it is made from carrots, pumpkin or sweet potato. Grated vegetables are boiled in cream or milk until thickened. Fruit halva is very sweet and is eaten together with pastries. And in Kozhikode in Kerala in southern India, halwa is made according to a special recipe, it is called Kozhikkodan Halwa. It is made from maida (a type of wheat flour), ghee, coconut, cashews, pineapple, etc. Karutha aluva, made from rice, is also popular in the south. This halva is almost black.

Sooji Halwa- semolina halva,
Sooji gajar Halwa- from semolina with carrots,
Sooji besan Halwa- from semolina and chickpea flour,
Gajar Halwa– carrot,
Aate ka Halwa- wheat halva,
Kaju Halwa– from cashew nut
Badam ka Halwa- almond.

It's easy to make halva, all the ingredients for many types of halva are familiar to us. You need to choose quality butter. It is better to use light brown unrefined sugar, which is available in many supermarkets, both in Russian packaging and imported (Denmark, UK). In India, they add more sugar than in the given recipe. It takes about half an hour to prepare.

Semolina halva with raisins

2 3/4 cups (650 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg,
1/4 cup (35 g) raisins,
1 cup (200 g) butter (preferably ghee)
1 1/2 cups (225 g) semolina.
2 teaspoons orange zest or
1/4 cup hazelnuts or walnuts or other add-ins (see below)
juice of one lemon

1) Slowly melt the sugar in a cast iron, cauldron or thick-walled saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly so as not to burn. If there is no cast iron, see another option below.
2) When it turns light brown, reduce the heat and slowly pour in hot (!) milk. The sugar will crystallize.
3) Leave to dissolve over low heat.
4) Melt the butter in a frying pan (saucepan), fry the semolina in it for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until it turns slightly brown.
5) Add raisins, zest and juice (or nuts) to the caramelized milk.
6) Pour this mixture into the semolina.
7) Stir once or twice: break up any lumps, then cook for a few minutes over low heat, covered, to absorb the liquid.
8) Stir several times to loosen.
9) It is best to eat halva hot. It can be reheated by holding the pan in a large bowl of hot water. At the same time, you need to knead it, it will become more airy.

Another variant– if you don’t have a cast iron or thick-walled pan. Immediately pour hot milk with sugar or water with sugar and spices into the semolina.

Tried and tested supplements: vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, various toasted nuts, fresh fruit, especially plums, apricots and peaches. All this should not be added at the last moment, but so that it cooks together a little.

Carrot halva

900 g fresh carrots,
3/4 cup (150g) butter,
2 cups (500ml) milk,
3/4 cup (150g) sugar,
3 tbsp. spoons of raisins,
3 tbsp. tablespoons almonds (or cashews), sliced ​​and lightly fried,
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.

1) Grate the carrots on a fine grater and fry for 10 minutes in melted butter over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2) Add milk, sugar, raisins, almonds. Cook for another 20-30 minutes until it turns into a homogeneous mass.
3) Cool, make a layer 2.5 cm thick, sprinkle with cardamom. Cut into pieces and serve as dessert.

Elena Kogutovskaya, Elvi Usmanova