Gajar ka halwa (Carrot yumminess)

My father in law loves this dessert so I told my husband to bring carrots from the supermarket. I have never tried making this before so really wanted to try it out. I looked up online and in my recipe books and saw many recipes but most of them used khoya (khowa) which I dint have on hand. well I was still determined so as soon as my hubby came home i asked him for carrots. He handed over a bags of baby carrots to me...I was like ...aaaaa..baby carrots ...really...I thought carrot halwa is made from nice big red carrots. well I still wanted to try it out...if it turns out bad i can blame the carrots lol. This dessert turned out amaaazzzingg. Unbelievably tasty and really easy to make. My husband loved it the most and he ate it in his unique style with puck cream (available in Arabic grocery stores). Do try this out , I highly recommend it.

Carrots -     1-1/2 bags of baby carrots or you can use the big red ones. Finely grate/shred them. I
                     used a food processor for this purpose.

Oil mix - 2 tbl spn oil + 5 tbl spn butter

Milk - 4 cups

sugar - 1-1/2 cups

water - 1 cup

cardamon powder 1/2 tsp

color - deep orange color


Procedure :

In a NON STICK pot add the oil mix. Add grated carrots and stir well on high flame. Now add milk and water and let boil till carrots soften. At this time you will see some oil oozing out Add sugar , cardamon powder and color and stir well for about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Besan Murukul (Gram flour treats)

I made this for Iftar recently. These simple , crisp and yummy murukuls  made me miss my mom who lives in India so much more. These were her specialty and she would make them in large batches and store them in air tight containers for us to eat whenever we desire. This year when i visited India i picked up the gadget which makes these fab murukuls. My FIL best describes them as irresistible. Try them to believe.

Ingredients:

Besan (gram flour)  : 1 cup
Rice flour : 2 cups
Salt : 1 tsp to 1-1/2 tsp as per taste
Red chili powder  : 2 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds : 1/2 tsp
Butter 2 tbl spn
Oil to deep fry

Method :

In a clean plastic bowl mix  all the ingredients together.
Add water to make a thick consistency . This should almost be as thick as cookie dough.
Now fill the murukul gadget with this dough. I used the plate with medium sized holes. Heat oil in pan and deep fry the noodle like dough (from the gadget) until golden brown. You can make these in all different shapes and sizes. Remove and place on paper to absorb excess oil. Enjoy !!

Rating :4.5 / 5 big hit with my 2 yr old