HOW TO MAKE Gajar ka Halwa (carrot halwa)

It is winter already (yayee!) and there is a nip in the Hyderabad air, that had been missing for a couple of years now. With lovely red carrots available available all over, what option did I have, but to pick up a few to make the eternal favourite gajar ka halwa!


Ingredients
One big red carrot, grated
Few tablespoons of ghee
1/2 litre milk (you can use skimmed or full cream)
Sugar to taste (I used about 8-10 tablespoon)
Two green cardamom  (elaichi)
Raisins and cashews to garnish

Method

1. Grate the carrot and lightly saute in ghee to get rid of the raw taste. Take care that you don't cook or fry it. Just a couple of minutes tossing it around should be good.
2. Lightly pound the elaichis and add to milk. You can also use elaichi powder if you have some.
3. Boil the milk in a thick-bottomed vessel, to ensure that the milk does not form a burnt layer at the bottom. (I use my pressure cooker, without the lid.)
4.  Add the sauted carrot to the milk.
5. Stir well. Keep on low flame and keep stirring occasionally till the milk thickens and reduces. 
6. Cook till it reaches the desired consistency (this is the state when there is no extra milk and the gajar ka halwa looks nice and moist).
7. Add sugar to taste. Mix well and turn off the gas.
8. Garnish with the dry fruits and serve hot on a cold winter night.

HOW TO MAKE Simple Tamarind (Imli) Chutney

This is the recipe for a basic tamarind chutney, that goes well with chaats, dahi vada etc. There are several variations, for example, one that includes dates, but I am just sticking to the basic recipe for now!


Ingredients (for a very small bowl of chutney)
Very little tamarind (approximately 1/4th part of a lemon), soaked in water for 1/2 - 1 hour
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Nutmeg powder, a pinch
Cumin (jeera) powder to taste

Method

1. Take the tamarind extract and strain it to extract the juice. Now transfer to a non-stick pan and add the remaining ingredients. 
2. Add water and cook on low heat till the chutney reaches the desired consistency. 
3. Taste, and adjust spices as required.

Please note that the chutney will become thicker once cool. So, you may have to mix in some water before serving.