In Arabic, the word “halvah”, “halwah” or “halva” simply refers to “sweetmeat” or “sweet treat”. The term tends to be applied to many dishes suitable for dessert or as a sweet addition to a supper or afternoon tea style meal.
Carrot halwa is fairly typical in the more easterly parts of the Middle East, influenced by such countries as Afghanistan and India. It’s a very simple recipe that can be eaten as a pudding (dessert) or as a small treat if you find it too sweet to have all at once. The one important thing you do need when making carrot halwa is time – it’s a time-consuming dish, so you do need to set aside a good hour to complete it properly. This blog provides two different approaches to making carrot halwa.
Step One
Ingredients – 2.2 lb /1kg of tender, juicy carrots, 4 1/4 cups /1 liter (0.3 US gal) of milk (dairy or soy milk), 3 to 4 tablespoons clarified butter, called ghee or vegetable ghee if you don’t wish to use dairy,2 heaped tablespoons of almonds, 2 heaped tablespoons of pistachios, 2 heaped tablespoons raisins.3 cups /450g of sugarCardamom seeds – 1 level teaspoonful, slightly crushed with a rolling pin
Step Two
Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes.
Step Three
Wash and grate all the carrots.
Step Four
Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a cup of water.
Step Five
Allow the water to come to the boil and add the grated carrots.
Step Six
Add the sugar. Keep stirring.