How to Make Carrot Halvah

Two Methods:Carrot halvah oneCarrot halvah two

In Arabic, the word "halvah", "halwah" or "halva" simply refers to "sweetmeat" or "sweet treat". Thus, 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 halvah 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 halvah is time––it's a time-consuming dish, so you do need to set aside a good hour to complete it properly. This article provides two different approaches to making carrot halvah.

Ingredients

Carrot halvah one:

• 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 sugar
• Cardamom seeds - 1 level teaspoonful, slightly crushed with a rolling pin

Carrot halvah two:

• 14 oz /400g carrots
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp slivered or flaked almonds (plus extra for decoration)
• 2 tbsp semolina
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 10 fl oz /300ml milk
• 3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

Method 1 of 2: Carrot halvah one

1. 
   1
   Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes.
2. 
   2
   Wash and grate all the carrots.
3. 
   3
   Crush the nuts. Put the nuts in a Ziploc bag and crush them lightly with a rolling pin or some other blunt heavy object. You could also blend them if preferred.
4. 
   4
   Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a cup of water.
5. 
   5
   Allow the water to come to the boil and add the grated carrots.
6. 
   6
   Add the milk. Cook on very low heat for up to an hour, stirring at regular intervals.

   • Note! This is a delicate dish, it needs constant attention. Don't leave it to cook down on its own. The milk and sugar will settle at the bottom and burn.
7. 
   7
   Add the sugar. Keep stirring.
8. 
   8
   When the sugar and milk has almost disappeared into the halvah, add the ghee and the crushed cardamoms. Keep stirring for another two to three minutes.
9. 
   9
   Remove from heat. Put the halvah into a serving dish, and garnish with the raisins and crushed nuts. Halvah can be served hot, or pressed into a shallow dish and served cold.

Method 2 of 2: Carrot halvah two

1. 
   1
   Peel the carrots. Grate finely.
2. 
   2
   Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy based saucepan. Add the grated carrots. Cook gently for 20 minutes or until cooked through. (This is "sweating" the carrots.) Be sure to stir frequently to prevent the carrots burning.
3. 
   3
   In a small frying pan, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee. Drop in 2 tablespoons of the slivered or flaked almonds and the semolina. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat once browned.
4. 
   4
   Pour the milk, sugar and raisins into another large heavy based saucepan.Bring to the boil, then add the cooked carrot mixture and the almond and semolina mixture.
5. 
   5
   Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The halvah will begin to thicken at this stage. If you don't think that it is thickening enough, add a touch more semolina to help.
6. 
   6
   Once thickened, stir in the cardamom evenly.
7. 
   7
   Pour the halvah into a shallow serving dish. Set aside to cool for about an hour. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with extra nuts and raisins and serve. Alternatively, serve freshly cooked and warm, in a less formal heaped shape. Again, sprinkle with raisins and nuts to decorate.