Coconut Carrot Date Halwa for Holi
Recipe updated from Original Post on March 12, 2022As we welcome spring, with the festival of colors, I cobble together this recipe. A luscious and vibrant vegan Gajar Halwa or Indian carrot pudding.
A variation of the classic version Gajar Halwa or Indian Carrot Pudding.
This version is however my son Aadi’s favorite. He loves all things coconut. In fact, enough to overlook his lack of affection for the dates and raisins. The only discernable difference are the hints of coconut and bits of dates and figs in the Halwa. Otherwise, this is very close to the real deal. I add in just a little bit of beets to give this color. This is optional, as you can see from the pictures, I sometimes make it without. And if you love beets, you can also try my Beet Halwa.
The day that happened.
Early this morning, the husband woke me up, or rather sounded his alarm for an early morning departure. This departure was him leaving for a short business trip. The week was long and exhausting enough already, facing the evening routine alone did not really help the equation. The only highlight of the day was that I was able to work from home, in relative quiet and peace.
I went to our town hall to renew the train station permit and realized that my car registration had expired. The lovely lady at the town clerks office, simply told me that I must have my papers at home and that I should fax them to her. I wanted a treat, and this simpler version of Gajar Halwa was born.
What is Gajar Halwa and how does this vegan version work?
Gajar Halwa is a North Indian dessert usually made with winter carrots. Shredded Carrots are cooked down in milk until a dry bright and rich mass. They are then fried in ghee and finished with nuts.
This vegan version uses dates, figs and maple syrup for sweetness. I use coconut oil and some coconut milk. And extra richness comes from almond meal mixed in.
Coconut Carrot Date Halwa
A luscious tasting vegan Coconut and Carrot Date Halwa
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped dates.
- 4 to 6 dried figs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil divided.
- 1- and 1/2-pounds carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 small beet
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 6 green cardamoms gently bruised.
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 2 tablespoons resins (optional)
- Chopped Almonds and Pistachios to garnish.
Instructions
- Chop the dates and the figs into small pieces, you can use a food processor if desired.
- Stir in the maple syrup.
- In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil and add in the carrots and beets, cook on medium heat stirring until the carrots turn a little darker and softer. This is about 5 minutes. Add in the date and fig mixture and the coconut milk and cardamoms and cook for another 8 minutes until the carrots are much softer and the coconut milk is completely absorbed,
- Add in the remained tablespoon of coconut oil and the almond meal. The mixture should be glistening and fairly dry.
- Remove the cardamoms (if you want to avoid looking for the cardamoms, you can remove the seeds and powder them and add them to the mixture)
- Serve garnished with the raisins (if using) and garnish with the almonds and pistachios
Gajar Halwa - Indian Carrot Fudge Pudding with Raisins and Pistachios
[…] you love the colors and prefer a vegan treat, here is my vegan version of this […]