Gajar ka Halwa

Ingredients

• 1kg red carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 litre whole milk
• 150g caster sugar
• 6 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
• 50g khoya (milk solids), crumbled, optional
• 3 tbsp cashews, halved
• 3 tbsp almonds, slivered
• 2 tbsp raisins
• Pinch of saffron strands

Before you cook

• Peel the carrots and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater.
• Crumble the khoya if using.
• Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk.

Steps

1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy wide pan and fry the cashews and almonds for 2 minutes until golden, then lift them out.
2. Fry the raisins in the same ghee for 30 seconds until they puff, then lift them out too.
3. Add the grated carrot to the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells sweet.
4. Pour in the milk and bring it to a boil.
5. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom.
6. Keep going until the milk has almost entirely disappeared and the carrots look thick and glossy.
7. Stir in the sugar and watch the mixture loosen as the sugar melts.
8. Cook for another 12 minutes until the liquid has evaporated again.
9. Add the remaining 4 tbsp ghee and fry the halwa for 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until it leaves the sides of the pan.
10. Stir in the khoya, saffron milk and ground cardamom and cook for 3 minutes more.
11. Fold through most of the fried nuts and raisins.
12. Serve warm in small bowls, scattered with the remaining nuts, and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like the hot and cold contrast.