This is a recipe that I've made a number of times but that I'd kind of forgotten about. Carrot Halva is dish that is so cozy and nourishing that you think it could almost be considered "nursery food", as my good friend Nigella Lawson calls kid food. I like this as a dessert or a quick breakfast. Even though it's made with carrots, they don't ever really soften enough to make it mushy. It has a texture more like a small cooked grain or pasta like couscous. Traditionally carrot halva (or halwa) is spiced with only cardamon. I, however, like to spice mine with the works, including cinnamon, clove, and allspice.
Here's my almost recipe. Great for using up gobs of carrots.
1 pound of carrots, grated (I grate mine as fine as my food processor will chop 'em)
6 tablespoons butter (Ghee, if you've got it)
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
(Some cooks advocate substituting sweetened condensed milk for the milk and sugar.)
Any combination of the following spices, ground or whole. I'd try a 1/2-1 teaspoon of each (ground) to start off with.
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cloves
Allspice
1/2 cup blanched almonds, but pistachios or cashews would be gorgeous too. You might freshen these up by microwaving them on a plate for 1 minute.
1/3 cup dried cranberries, cherries or sultanas (cherries or cranberries are gorgeous)
Melt the butter in a heavy pan on the stove or in a crock pot set on high. Add the carrots, salt and spices. Stir to combine and cook until the carrots take on a burnished, gorgeous color. Add the milk and cook on the stove top for 40 minutes, 1-2 hours in a crock pot on high, more if it's on low. Add the sugar, nuts and dried fruit. Cook for 10 minutes longer (more if it's in a crock pot). Taste and adjust sugar and spices to your liking. I've heard of serving this warm with ice cream.
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