Carrot - Jaggery Halwa

Carrot Halva is a sweet dish that most people love to have it. Carrots are the healthy vegetable that can be used in many dishes. The sweet dishes like, Carrot Kheer, halva, sweet bath,even in cake we can use carrots.

Winter season is here and you get loads and loads of fresh carrots in market and even with vendors. Usually I feel like grabbing all the fresh vegetables and bring it home. But that is not necessary to bring lot of vegetables at once because you get fresh vegetables each day. Anyways these carrots are real fresh and juicy and I tried Carrot Halva with Jaggery ( healthy twist). I have parceled this halva to my Brother in law's house and sister in law's house too. It is my way of sharing things with our people.
I have used carrots, jaggery, little amount of nuts (Walnuts, raisins, almonds and cashews) with fair amount of ghee. One should remember that sweet will be tasty only when you use exact amount of ghee that particular sweet required.
It is an easy and yummy dish and does not take much time.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Carrots( used Delhi Carrots as its said) :  5 to 6
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup (grated/powdered)
Ghee : 3 to 4 Tablespoons of ghee
Cardamom Powder : 1 Teaspoon (3 to 4 whole )
Nuts : 1/2 Cup ( Cashews, almonds, raisins and walnuts).
Milk Powder : 2 Tablespoons (Optional)

Method : 

1. Wash and scrape out the outer layer of carrots and grate it. Keep it aside.
2. Grate jaggery and keep it aside.
3. Powder cardamom and cut nuts into small pieces.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of ghee and cashews and raisins.
5. Fry them in ghee till they turn slightly golden brown.

6. Add carrots and fry nicely in ghee, let all the moisture disappear.
7. Add jaggery and stir. First it turns as bit watery. Then it starts to absorb the moisture.

8. Add ghee in between ( little by little) and then stir on medium flame.
9. Add milk powder (Optional) and fry nicely, Add almond and walnut pieces and stir.

10. It starts to leave the edges. Put cardamom and remaining ghee and stir for another 3 to 4 minutes.

11. Shift the ready carrot halwa to a serving dish.

12. Serve Hot/cooled Carrot jaggery Halva according to your wish. Carrots Halwa and Ice cream will be one of the good combination Tht surely you can enjoy.

Note :

Fry carrots gratings nicely till they turn soft and let all the moisture disappear before you add jaggery.
Adding sugar instead of jaggery is optional. Adding more nuts is optional. Adding any other flavoured essence is optional. Adding milk powder is optional. You can use fresh boiled and cooled milk instead of milk powder.(1/4 Cup)
Time 20 to 25 Minutes
Serves : 5 to 6 (According to the servings.

Nendra Baale -Wheat Halva

Nendra Bale - Wheat Halva is a sweet dish and it can be served or eaten as desert. Nendra bale -wheat Halva is always easy to prepare and it is one of the yummy dish to have.

I have used jaggery instead of sugar. Jaggery helps to add iron to our body. It boost energy and contain little carbohydrates
Nendra Baale -Wheat Halva is the perfect sweet for any Celebration. Fresh and Healthy sweets are more enjoyable and helps to be fit too.
Deepavali is celebrated for 4 to 5 days. First day Neeru tumbuva habba, the name it self reveals that neeru means water, tumbu means fill. So the first day eve is celebrated by performig pooja to water and fill the big Hande (the one which water is boiled) will be the done and Hande (big Pot) is decorated with rangoli. Next day early moring water is boiled and people get ready for oil bath. that is called Enne Snana. (Oil bath). After the bath the elder of the home is perform pooja and pray well ness of the whole family and all the members of the family gather in the pooja room. They take the ashirvad (blessings) of the elders, pooja and nevaidya (samarpane) is done. Early morning boiling water is a big process. Oil is put up to everyone's head and each one will bath and freshen them selves, wear new clothes. After the pooja is done and then Upahar. ( Morning breakfast) which is normally dosa and panchakajjaya. which is already made naivedaiyam to Lord.
Let us see the recipe now :
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1 Cup. (Grated)
Nendra Banana : 1
Cardamom  : 4 to 5 pods
Ghee : 1/2 Cup
Cashew  and Almonds  : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Water : 1 Cup.

Method :
1. Dry roast wheat nicely till the raw smell goes off. Keep water for boiling.
2. Cut nendra banana into small pieces and keep it aside.

3. Grate or powder jaggery and keep it aside. Cut Almonds into small pieces and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a big pan on the fire and put roasted wheat flour. Add boiling water and mix it well.

5.Add powdered jaggery and mix it nicely. Add a spoon of ghee and stir nicely.

6. Add cut banana and mix it well. Stir till the halva leaves the pan and it turns as one whole.
7. Add cut almonds and mix it well. Fry cashews in a teaspoon of ghee and keep it aside.

8. Powder cardamom and greese the tray or plate. Fry cashews in a spoon of ghee.

9. Add little more ghee and mix the halva nicely. Add cashew and poppy seeds and mix it again.

10. Shift the ready Nendra Baale - Wheat halva to a ghee spread plate/tray.

 11. You can cut it into small pieces once it cools down.
12. You can also serve this halva when it is hot. Put a spoon of halva and  put a spoon of ghee and serve.

Note :
Adding ghee on the top of hot halva (when it is hot) adds to the taste.
Adding more ghee helps the halva to be more rich and tasty.
Needs to cook on  low and medium flame.
You can also add roasted cashews. (optional). Dry roasting /frying in ghee is optional. (Cashews). I have fried cashews in ghee. Added almonds as they are. (Did not fry or roast).
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves :  20 to 25 pieces.

Nendra Bale - Walnuts Halva

Nendra Bale is one variety of banana mostly eaten in Southa Canara and Kerala. I have prepared Halva using Nendra bale/Banana.  This variety of banana is full of carbohydrates and healthy properties. Halva prepared using this banana tastes excellent and keeps you hog the halva again and again.
I have used Walnuts, cashew nuts, jaggery and Nendra bale. I have used jaggery instead of Sugar which is a healthy concept.

Lets see some benefits of eating Walnuts in our diet.
Walnuts originated in the Mediterraneat regin and Cental Asia. They have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. They are rich in Omega 3 fats
Walnuts are rich in Omega 3 fats and high in antioxidants. Eating walnuts everyday may improve brain health. They are rich in copper, Phosporus, Manganese Folic acid which is also known as Vitamin B 9, Vitamin B 6 and Vitamin E. They help to lower the bad cholesterol and reduce the inflammation. They also help in functioning of the blood vessels well.
Let us see the recipe now.

Things Needed :

Nendra Bale (Nendra Bananas) : 2
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup
Walnuts : 6 to 8 pieces
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods
Chenna/Hurikadale : 1/2 Cup
Milk Powder : 2 Tablespoons (Optional)
Ghee : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Powder or cut walnuts into small pieces. Powder hurikadale/Chenna with cardamom pods.

2. Steam cook nendra bale and let it be soft (3 to 4 minutes). Remove the outer layer once it is cooled.

3. Now mix cooked nendra bale, jaggery and keep it on low flame. (Powder jaggery before mixing with fruit).

4. Keep stirring until it mixes well. Now add ground chenna/hurikadale and mix it well.
5. Add a tablespoon of ghee and mix it. Add milk powder and mix it well. Add powdered or cut nuts.

6. Keep stirring till it leaves the pan. Stir nicely for another 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Apply ghee to a plate/ tray.

8. Stir once again and put it to a ghee applied plate. Make it evenly by using a chapati roller. Let it cool. Spread some cut cashew nuts on the top. 

9. Cut Nendra Banana Halva once it is cooled. Cut it according to your wish.

10. Serve or store in a airtight bottle or container.

Note :

You can grind banana as they are and then mix it with jaggery. Steaming helps the banana to be thicken quickly. No need to use more ghee. Adding little more jaggery is optional. Adding milk powder is also optional. Adding chenna/hurikadale/pottu kadale helps to give a good binding to halva.
Time : 4o to 50 Minutes
Serves : 20 to 30 pieces (According to the size). 

Custard Powder Halva

Custard Powder Halva is a sweet dish prepared using custard powder. It is an easy task and you will like it at the end when it is completely done. The taste of the Halva invites you to have more and more pieces. It can be cut it into pieces nicely and the colour is also so rich. I have seen many people prepared this Halva and put up pics in Foodie group. The pics inspired me to prepare this halva .
As I said it is very easy to prepare and do not take much time too. Any brand of custard powder can be used. You can use milk or water. Option is yours. Using more sugar helps to thicken the halva very quickly and gives a good shape too.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Custard Powder : 1 Cup (Any flavour)
Sugar : 2 1/2 to 3 cups
Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Water :  4 Cups.
Cashew nuts : 2 Table spoons. (cut it into small pieces).

Method :

1. Take a big bowl or pan. Put custard powder and sugar in it.

 2. Add water and mix it nicely until everything dissolve in water completely.

3. Keep the pan on the fire and stir it slowly on medium and low flame.

4. Stir it till it leaves the side of the pan.

5. Add ghee and stir for another 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Apply ghee on a plate.
7.Add cut nuts and then mix it well.
8. Put this mixture in the ghee applied plate and spread it around.

9. Cut it according to your wish when it turns cool.

Note : Adding more ghee is optional. It does not take much ghee. Adding more sugar (3 cups) helps to get the good shape. You can use any flavour of custard powder. Did not use any cardamom or any other spice here. The Halva is soft . It does not turn hard or chewy.
Time : 20 minutes
20 to 25 pieces of Halva.