Carrot Barfi with Jaggery

The recipe of carrot barfi is similar to the way we cook carrot halwa. Here I have used milk powder instead of condensed milk or khoya. You can use your own gajar ka halwa recipe to make this gajar barfi. Also, I have used jaggery instead of sugar to get a more dark color in the barfi. This is a quick recipe and does not take much time apart from grating carrots. Nowadays, we get grated carrots also in the department stores like big basket. 

Ingredients:  

1. Gajar / Carrot - grated two cup

2. Milk Powder - 1 cup (100 gram)

3. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

4. Nuts - 1 tsp (chopped)

5. Kaju / Cashew nut - 1 tsp (finely chopped)

6. Pistachios - 1/2 tsp (10-12 - chopped)

7. Ghee - for cooking 

8. Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup

Process:   

  

1. Rinse, peel and then grate 300 grams carrots. In cup measurement, you will need 2 cups grated carrots.

2. Grease a pan or tray with ½ tsp ghee and keep aside to use later.

3. Now,  in a kadai or thick bottomed pan, melt 2 tsp ghee and add grated carrot and mix well on low to medium flame, with frequent stirring sauté the carrots till they are almost cooked. It would take about 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Add 1 cup milk powder (100 to 105 grams). Mix the milk powder with the carrots very well. Sauté for a minute and add ⅓ cup jaggery powder and ½ tsp cardamom powder. Also add nuts and chopped cashew into this mixture and mix all the ingredients very well.

5.The mixture will loosen up as the jaggery melts. Continue to sauté with frequent stirrings for about 7 to 9 minutes on a low to medium flame. For more firm and dense consistency in the barfi, you can cook for more 10 to 12 minutes.

6. When the mixture thickens and reduces, its time to switch off the flame. a test is to take a small mixture and cool it. Then roll into a small ball. It should easily form a ball. Immediately, pour the barfi mixture in the greased pan and with a spatula or spoon smoothen the top part. 

7.Sprinkle chopped pistachios (10 to 12 pistachios) on top and gently press them with a spoon or spatula on the halwa. You can also use any other dry fruits instead of pistachios.

Cover and allow the barfi to cool and set at room temperature. You can also keep in the fridge after the barfi cools down at room temperature. 

Slice and Serve carrot barfi. 

CARROT CAKE

Most of the carrot cakes are egg less cakes. My recipe of carrot cake contains carrots mixed into the batter of simple sponge cake with eggs. This is my third experiment in baking a cake in Kadhai and this is soft and tasty. I have used eggs and all the other ingredients used in a sponge cake, additional ingredient is just grated carrot. Unlike the other cakes, carrot cake is heavy and not fluffy. I just loved the cake.

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Baking powder - 1 tsp
4. Butter - 1/2 cup
5. Milk (boiled and cold) - 1/2 cup
6. Eggs - 2 
8. Salt - pinch of
9. Grated carrot - 1/2 cup

Process :

1. Grease the cake tray. Dust with flour evenly and set aside.
2. Pour milk and suger in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Gently mix until the flour is combined well. Start adding eggs one by one and keep mixing. Finally add the grated carrots and mix well (Remember : Do not mix too long after adding carrots)
3. Once the batter is ready, pour this in the cake tray.
4. Heat the heavy bottom kadai for 10 minutes and then place a steel stand (optional) inside the kadai and place the cake tray. If you do not have a steel stand, you can directly place cake tray in the kadhai. Sprinkle dry fruits in the top and cover with a lid.
5. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes you can check by putting a knife side the cake, if the knife comes out clean, means the cake is done, else you can cook for another 5 minutes. 

Your Carrot cake is ready to serve. You can garnish it with some more grated carrots and chocolate sauce, if you like to have chocolate in everything, like i do. 

Do share your experience while trying this cake.
Happy Baking.