Prep Time: 04 hours

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Servings: 4-5 Servings

Guilt-free gajar halwa, is the objective behind this recipe. Well! Gajar ka halwa is one of the traditional recipes Indians look forward to in the winter season when carrots are available a galore! And opting for a healthier lifestyle should not call for giving up on your traditional tastes!

So, here’s a recipe to prepare the drooled over gajar halwa - no dairy, no refined sugar way! We prefer to use almond milk as a dairy replacement and dates to sweeten the halwa. It not only is a healthier way to prepare, it turns out to be simply awesome! These winters, try making the gajar halwa this way!

Ingredients

• Carrot: 1 kg (grated)
• Almond milk: 1 ltr
• Cardamom pods: 8
• Date paste to taste
• Cashew nut paste: 1-2 tsps (optional)
• Raisins: as per taste
• Roasted sliced almonds (for garnishing)

For Almond milk:

• Almond kernels: 1 cup
• Warm/ hot water: 1 ltr

Method

• Grate the carrots, place in a stainless steel heavy bottom pan/wok.
• Pour the almond milk into the carrots, add cardamom pods and cook until all liquid portion is absorbed by the ingredients. It takes about 30-40 min
• Add date paste
• Stir occasionally
• Add cashew nut paste (optional)
• Add raisins, top with roasted sliced almonds and serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold later

To make almond milk:

• Place almonds to be soaked in water. You can pre-soak the almonds for four hours in cold water or warm water
• Peel the soaked almonds if you wish
• Place the almonds and water in a blender and grind.
• Sieve the blended mixture through a fine mesh cloth or nut milk bag and squeeze out all the milk

To make date paste

• Soak as many dates as you would like in water
• Put them in a container with a lid and let them sit in the refrigerator for hours. Separate the dates and the soaking liquid
• Place dates and a little of the soaking liquid in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth consistency. Add water if required
• Date paste will last for weeks if kept refrigerated. It can be used as a replacement for sweetner for all recipes.

Eating guide:

• Food group: Vegetables and Nuts
• Relish as a guilt free sweet-dish after your meals or even as a snack. Is a healthier option to satisfy your sweet-tooth in comparison to dairy based sweets that mostly use white sugar as a sweetener. Both dairy and white sugar have negative impact on the body.

Image credit for title pic: www.cook2nourish.com

Disclaimer: The health journeys, blogs, videos and all other content on Wellcure is for educational purposes only and is not to be considered a ‘medical advice’ ‘prescription’ or a ‘cure’ for diseases. Any specific changes by users, in medication, food & lifestyle, must be done under the guidance of licensed health practitioners. The views expressed by the users are their personal views and Wellcure claims no responsibility for them.