Vegan Carrot Halwa

Vegan Carrot Halwa

Gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa or carrot fudge is a popular traditional Indian dessert and is enjoyed by all age groups. In India, during winters we get red and juicy carrots. The carrot halwa made with red carrots gets a nice red colour. However, you can use the orange carrots if red color carrots are not available.

The gajar ka halwa is a light dessert perfect for any occasion and celebration. Since it does not use any flour it is gluten-free.

The gajar ka halwa is made by simmering the grated carrots in full-fat milk. It is cooked until the milk evaporates and only milk solids (mawa/khoya) are left. Sugar and ghee are added at the end. The halwa gets a nice dark color as the sugar gets caramelized on cooking.

But can the gajar ka halwa be enjoyed by the people who follow vegan diet or are allergic to dairy products? Yes of course they can enjoy the “vegan carrot halwa”.  The dairy products are replaced by non dairy products such as almond milk, powdered almonds, and oil. The process of making the halwa remains the same as that of making the normal carrot halwa.

I had invited an Australian family ( Duffy and his wife Lil along with children Franky and Luke) for dinner. Lil is allergic to dairy products. I had made tandoori aloo and Hariyali tofu tikka for starters. I have made undhiyu for main dish with parathas.  I wanted to balance the heavy food with refreshing and light dessert. Carrot halwa suited for the category. Since Lil was allergic to dairy, I thought of making the halwa with almond milk  and powdered almonds. Believe me the vegan carrot halwa was so delicious and had good flavor of almonds.

I enjoyed making it for my guests and also packed them some!!

Please friends do try out this recipe and I would love to hear your views and comments!!

Happy healthy cooking!!

Vegan Carrot Halwa
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Vegan Carrot Halwa

Vegan Carrot Halwa is a non dairy version of  popular Indian dessert "carrot halwa" and is  made with grated carrots that are cooked in a nondairy milk such as almond and is flavored with cardamon and nuts.  It can be served hot for breakfast or served warm with a scoop of non dairy ice cream for vegan diet. It can be enjoyed by people who are observing fast (upwaas/vrat).
Course Breakfast, Dessert, gluten free, sweet, upwaas (fast), vegan
Keyword breakfast, carrot, dessert, festivalfood, glutenfree, homemade, picnic, potluck, Sweet, traditonal, upwaas (fast), vegan, winterdessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 328kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. (you can use any flavorless oil.  I have used flavorless refined peanut oil).
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • When the oil is heated, add the grated carrot and saute on medium heat. After 5-8 minutes the carrots will start to cook and shrink in size.
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • Add milk to it and mix well. Stir in between and let the milk boil on medium heat. (I prefer using almond milk as a non dairy milk for making halwa the taste of almond will penetrate well in making the halwa). The milk will start boiling. Now cook the mixture on medium heat stirring continuously.
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • After some time the milk will reduce. Stir continuously and scrap the carrots from the sides. 
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • The milk is now 90% evaporated. Add sugar and mix well.
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • Add cardamom powder and mix well.
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • Add the blanched , peeled and ground almond to the halwa. (the ground almonds gives the texture similar to that of milk granules or khoya like the normal dairy carrot halwa).
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • Mix well and cook for a minute. The vegan carrot halwa is ready to serve.
    Vegan Carrot Halwa
  • Garnish with almonds and pistachio slices and serve warm or cold. You can also serve with a non dairy ice cream. 
    Vegan Carrot Halwa

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 20880IU | Vitamin C: 7.5mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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