Ganapati Bappa Moriya!!! Happy Vinayaka Chavithi!

Wanted to post something special for the occasion and what better than a favorite childhood treat…Gajar Halwa evokes fond memories of my mom cooking up this decadent treat generously studded with cashews and kismis (raisins) fried in ghee, for us three sisters. You can use any type of carrots for this dish but we used to get the special ‘dilli’ gajar flown in from Delhi resulting in a gorgeous vibrant hued dish.
Sadly, here, I do not have access to those special carrots but Gajar Halwa is Gajar Halwa!
There are several ways to make this dish, here is how my mom makes it.

Ingredients

Carrots: 1 kg/ approx. 2 lbs
Milk: 1kg/ 4 cups
Sugar: 2 cups or according to your taste.
Green cardamom: 4-6
Ghee/Clarified Butter melted: 1/4 cup (can use less)
Cashews, Raisins, Pistachios, slivered almonds for garnish

Method

Wash, scrape and grate carrots and keep aside.
In a wide pan, on medium heat, cook milk and grated carrots, stirring occasionally till milk is almost completely dried up.
Add sugar and stir till the mixture dries up again.
In a pestle, crush green cardamom. Discard the skins and keep the powder aside.
In a separate pan, heat clarified butter and fry cashews till golden brown and raisins till they puff up nicely. Take care not to over brown them. Take them out and keep the ghee aside.
Add crushed cardamom powder and fried nuts and raisins along with the reserved ghee to the halwa and mix well. Cook for a five more minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat.
Garnish with slivered almonds and crushed pistachios if desired. Serve either hot or cold. It’s equally delicious either way!