Have you ever tried beets as a dessert? If you love beets and you love halwas, then this unique combination is for you. A vibrant deep red Beetroot Halwa!
Halwas are a common dessert in the Indian subcontinent. Made from various flours, nuts, fruits and vegetables, there are many variations. Sooji and Carrot are probably amongst the top 2 most common ones. Although not very common, Beets are a great vegetable to use for a very unique Halwa variation. Cooked in milk and topped with nuts and khoya, the vibrant red color is so inviting.
Halwas make a wonderful dessert, satisfying everyone’s sweet tooth. Sweet, warm, filling, soft with the crunch of nuts on top. Halwas can be enjoyed hot, warm or even cold. They are typically topped with nuts and sometimes drizzled with heavy cream. In fusion variations, they can be served with a scoop of ice cream on top!
Halwas are a great make ahead option as they stay great in the fridge for a couple of days and can also be frozen for later use. Try this unique variation today.
Makes: 4-5 servings
Time: 40 mins cook time
Level of difficulty: Medium, not hard but takes some elbow grease with stirring
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of pealed and grated raw beets
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar (adjust based on sweetness of beets)
- 1/8 cup ground nuts (almonds and pistachios). Grind to powder
- 1/8 cup golden raisins (kishmish)
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (taj)
- Optional: 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (jaifer)
- Garnish: 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (almonds and pistachios are most commonly used) and crumbled khoya (mava)
- 1tbsp Rose water or Kewra
Method:
- Peel and grate beets, this is the time to use the food processer to save your hands and nails from becoming red!
- In a nonstick pan on medium heat, add ghee and beets. Stir and cook for 10 mins.
- Then add milk and cook for 15 mins stirring occasionally in between.
- Add sugar, spices, raisins, nuts and stir together. Cook for 15 mins till all the liquid is cooked through and halwa is not sticking to the pan coming together like a dough. Keep stirring so it does not stick to the pan.
- Turn heat off, add Rose/Kewra and stir in.
- Decorate the top with nuts and crumbled khoya/mava.
- Tastes best when served hot or warm.
- To make it richer, add 1/2 cup of khoya/mava in step 3.
- Make it early and chill in fridge till ready to serve. Stays good for up to 4 days in fridge or 1 month in the freezer.
- If serving hot, add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream on top.
- You can also add a variation and mix with grated carrots or grated bottle gourd (dudhi). The same recipe works for carrot halwa or dudhi halwa individually as well.
- Check out other delicious recipes in the Sweets section.