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GAJRELA (CARROT HALWA)




    Hello my insta family... hope you are doing well. It’s been a while since I interacted with you all... as some of you know, I recently moved houses and I’ve been completely swamped! As much as we love to believe that we’ll set it all up quickly, these things take time but only with patience do we get the results we want!


    So in the meantime I thought I’d share this humble traditional recipe called Gajrela or Gajar ka Halwa, which is a very popular desert adorned by all, especially in North India.


    When you talk about Indian comfort desserts, this is it! The rich flavour of cardamom brings out the sweet warmth of the carrots, and along with the subtle crunch of Indian dry fruits and creaminess of the khoya... what more could you ask for? It’s the perfect wintertime dessert, and I’m sure any Indian would agree - it’s both humble and decadent, I’ve garnished it with gold leaf to bring that extra oomph to this all-time favourite dish.


    I made this dish because it was my mum’s favourite dessert... as a kid my mum would make it every winter... Muscat has been extra cold lately and eating this Gajrela was like a wonderful and nostalgic warm hug!


    The recipe for this beautiful dish is up on my website - the link is in the bio!

    What was your family’s winter favourite?


    PREP TIME: 15minutes

    MAKING TIME: 45 minutes

    SERVES: 15-20



    INGREDIENTS


    For Gajrela

    • 1 kg red carrot, grated from bigger holes

    • 1 ltr/ 4 cups full fat milk

    • 350g granulated white sugar

    • 50g ghee

    • 10-12 green cardamom

    • 40g green raisins

    • 40g raw cashews

    • 40g almonds

    • 40g pistachios, sliced

    For Khoya

    • 100g milk powder ( full cream)

    • 100g cooking cream

    For Garnishing

    • Gold or silver leaf


    METHOD


    1. In a heavy bottom large pan, add grated carrot and milk, bring to boil stirring occasionally. Reduced heat to medium low, stirring on regular intervals, cook the carrots until all milk is evaporated, approximately 25-30 minutes.

    2. Add sugar and ghee, cook on low heat until sugar is dissolved and cook for further 5 minutes until it becomes semi-dry and is not watery anymore. Add cardamom powder, mix and cook for 5 more minutes on low until gajrela leaves the pan, remove from fire.

    3. In a small pan, warm a tsp of ghee. Keeping on low heat, add cashews and lightly toast them, just for a minute. Add other nuts and raisins and remove from fire immediately. Stir to lightly toast it from the residual heat. Reserve a little amount for garnish on top and add the rest to the prepared gajrella.

    4. To make khoya, in a microwave safe bowl, combine milk powder and cream, mix until well combined. Microwave on high for 1 minute, remove and stir to mix, return to microwave and cook on high for 1 more minute. Remove from microwave, stir and leave to cool down. Add the khoya to the room temperature gajrella.

    5. To serve, warm gajrella and garnish with reserved nuts and gold leaf.


    COOK'S NOTES

    • Gajrela is also known as gajar ka halwa/carrot halwa.

    • A pinch of saffron can also be added along with cardamom powder for extra flavour.

    • I use bigger hole grater for making gajrela as I prefer little texture in the dessert. But if you like mashed consistency of halwa, you can use thin hole grater or can use food processor for grating.

    • This dessert can easily be preserved in an airtight container for upto a week in refrigerator.

    • I like to add khoya for bringing that extra traditional richness to the dessert but you can always skip if you don’t want.

    • Adjust the sugar according to your taste buds.

    FRANKINCENSE PINNIES


      Winters are already knocking on the door and the festive months have already started... My mum used to make gond atta pinnies each winter, and I wanted to renew this memory by putting my own little spin. Made Frankincense and Gond Atta pinnies packed with lots of dried fruits and nuts this Diwali merging the traditional Indian winter energy balls with an Omani touch.


      These pinnies are delicious but packed with tons of health benefits as frankincense is anti-inflammatory and helps strengthen joints, as does the gond. Frankincense is basically a resin of boswellia tree which is very traditional and prominently used in Omani homes, not just for food but also used to provide a beautiful aroma throughout the house, or steeped into teas. The health benefits are endless as it improves your gut health, arthritis or even helps reverse the cancer in some cases. Instead of normal sugar I’ve used jaggery which is an unrefined sugar again perfect for your immunity and enhances blood supply...


      These energy balls are perfect to make in big batches and store them in jars to consume through out winter...


      PREP TIME: 15minutes

      MAKING TIME: 15 minutes

      PASSIVE TIME: 30 minutes

      TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

      YIELDS: 16



      INGREDIENTS


      For Dates Layer

      • 1/3 cup khus-khus (white poppy seeds)

      • 100g gond, (edible gum) small pieces

      • 10g frankincense gum (take fairly small pieces)

      • 100g almonds

      • 100g pistachios

      • 1/2 cup dedicated coconut

      • 20g watermelon seeds (magaj)

      • 1/4 cup green raisins (kishmish)

      • 1/3 cup desi ghee

      • 2 1/2 cups atta

      • 400g jaggery, soft and cut into pieces or jaggery powder

      • 1/2 cup water


      METHOD


      1. In a heavy bottom wok or deep frypan, dry roast the khus-khus for 2 minutes on a medium low heat until fragrant and slightly golden. Remove from pan.

      2. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in the same pan, keeping it on medium low heat. Add frankincense gum and fry for few seconds until it puffs up, remove from pan. Wipe the leftover ghee in pan.

      3. Add 1 tbsp of ghee in pan, melt ghee on medium low flame, add half the quantity of edible gum and fry stirring constantly on medium low heat until it puffs up. Remove from pan.

      4. Now melt another tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry the remaining edible gum keeping the heat on medium low. Remove from pan.

      5. Now melt a tablespoon of ghee in the same pan, still keeping the heat on medium low add almonds and fry for 2 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from pan.

      6. Add half a tablespoon more to the pan if need be and fry cashews stirring constantly on medium low heat for just a minute. Take care not to over roast it. Cashews should slightly change its color and not brown. Remove from pan.

      7. Now add raisins to the same pan and fry for few seconds and remove from pan. Add coconut and roast stirring constantly for 2 minutes until slightly golden in color. Remove from pan.

      8. In the same pan roast watermelon seeds on medium low heat for a minute and remove.

      9. Melt rest of the ghee in the same pan. Keeping the flame on medium low, add atta and roast it stirring constantly until the atta turns slightly golden. Take care not to burn the atta. It’s perfectly ok if you feel the atta is bit dry while roasting. Do not be tempted to add more ghee. Remove from the pan.

      10. Wipe the pan, add jaggery and water, keeping the pan on medium high heat, let the jaggery melt. Once melted cook on medium heat for just couple of minutes until it forms one sting consistency. Do not over cook the jaggery as your pinnies will get hard if it’s over cooked. Remove from heat.

      11. Meanwhile the jaggery is melting, grind the roasted khus-khus, remove in a large bowl. Coarsely grind roasted almonds and cashews and add it to the khus-khus bowl.

      12. Grind the fried frankincense in mortar and pestle. Add it to the khus-khus bowl along with roasted atta, watermelon seeds, raisins and coconut. Mix them well.

      13. Now pour the melted jaggery while it is still quite warm on to the atta mixture. Mix well with the spatula. Add edible gum and mix again. Now quickly shape them into round balls by firmly pressing it in your hands.

      14. Cool them to room temperature and store it in an airtight jar.


      COOK'S NOTES

      • choosing the small pieces of frankincense is important as the larger pieces will not roast properly.

      • Wiping the pan after roasting frankincense is important as it’s slightly bitter in taste and it will make the rest of the ingredients coated in that bitter flavour.

      • Keeping the heat on medium low is important as nuts has the tendency to burn quickly.

      • Take a great care when cooking jaggery syrup as overcooking the jaggery will make your pinnies tough.

      DATES ALMOND AND PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE BURFI



        Diwali is all about celebrating, decorating your house, dressing up and of course, making and feasting on a lot of delicious food and traditional mithai (Indian sweets)! Instagram is stormed with Diwali mithai preparations as Diwali isn’t complete without the mithai... everyone is busy making and sharing pictures of their Diwali mithais. But for me, my family and I have been off sweets for a few months now and was wondering how I can create something healthier and share the Diwali festivities with my family without indulging in sugar and piling on too many calories.


        I solved my predicament by creating this amazing Diwali burfi - a Dates Almond and Chocolate Pistachio burfi infused with rose water! It’s totally sugar free, but honest to goodness my family and I didn’t even miss the typical assortment of sweets that are laden with sugar! This was sooo delicious and absolutely melted in your mouth, popping a new patakha (firework) of flavour as you eat it! And somehow this totally different and healthy recipe perfectly encapsulates the warmth and the spirit of Diwali!


        Indulge yourself this Diwali into something which is totally sugar-free, gluten-free and a vegan mithai which is much more healthier, nutritious and festive at the same time!! Happy Diwali!

        PREP TIME: 15minutes

        MAKING TIME: 15 minutes

        PASSIVE TIME: 30 minutes

        TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

        YIELDS: 16



        INGREDIENTS


        For Dates Layer

        • 250g madjool dates, pitted

        • 100g dark chocolate buttons or chopped chocolate bar

        • 100g rolled oats or oats flour(coarse)

        • 2-3 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

        • 3 tbsp/ 50g almond butter

        • 50g pistachios

        • 1 tsp vanilla

        • 1/2 tsp dalt

        • 3 tsp rose water

        For Almond Layer:

        • 1 1/4 cup almond powder

        • 3 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

        • 1/2 tbsp almond milk

        • 1/4 tsp almond essence

        For Chocolate Layer:

        • 150g dark chocolate buttons/ chopped block

        • 3 tbsp virgin coconut oil

        For Ganishing:

        • 20 gm pistachios, roughly chopped

        • Dried rose petals

        Equipment needed:

        • 8”x8” square baking pan about 2 inch high (I used the loose bottom pan)


        METHOD


        1. Soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Keep aside.

        2. In a blender, coarsely grind the rolled oats. Keep aside.

        3. Drain water from the dates, blend to a fine paste. Add ground oats, almond butter and salt; blend for a minute until just well combined. Now add chocolate buttons, vanilla and rose water and give a quick blend. You will see the chocolate slightly melting, which is good.

        4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Now taste your mixture and if you find your mixture is not wet and sweet enough, add the maple syrup else you can skip it. Add pistachios and mix well.

        5. For almond layer, sift the almond powder, add almond essence, maple syrup and mix with a spatula.

        6. Now line the bottom and sides of pan with baking paper, pour the dates mixture at the bottom, spread evenly and press it gently with the help of spatula. Now pour the almond mixer on top and spread it evenly with the off set knife or a spatula. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

        7. Just before removing from refrigerate, make the chocolate layer. Pour chocolate button and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl, microwave it for 30 seconds, mix with rubber spatula and heat again for 20 seconds. Gently mix and heat for another 20 seconds until your chocolate is melted and glossy.

        8. Now remove the pan from refrigerate, pour the melted chocolate on top, quickly spread it with offset knife and sprinkle the pistachios and rose petal on top. Let it set for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

        9. Push the set burfi out of the pan and cut it into slices.

        10. If you are not using the loose bottom pan, slice it into 16 squares with the sharp knife and gently remove pieces from the pan. Serve at room temperature.


        COOK'S NOTES

        • Add the maple syrup to the dates layer only if you find your mixture is not soft and sweet enough.

        • Maple syrup can be replaced with agave syrup as well.

        • When you are spreading the chocolate you need to be swift in spreading else your chocolate will set and you will not be able to stick your garnish on top. As soon as you spread the chocolate quickly sprinkle the chopped pistachios and dried rosemary petals on top and let it set.

        • I used loose bottom square pan, you can also make it in ordinary pan but make sure you line it with parchment paper to release it easily from the bottom and sides.

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