Lifestyle Desk: It is rare that it is winter season and carrot halwa is not made at home. When the aroma of grated carrots, milk, ghee and sugar spreads throughout the house from the kitchen, everyone feels tempted to eat it. But many times, even after a lot of hard work, carrot halwa does not turn out as we want. Sometimes carrot fibers come into the mouth, and sometimes the taste of milk is distinctly felt in the halwa.
At the same time, sometimes the halwa remains thinner or drier than required. If this happens to you too, then there is no need to worry. Actually, some small mistakes made while making carrot halwa can spoil its taste and texture. So let us know those mistakes which you should avoid.
not choosing the right carrot
To make carrot halwa delicious, the most important thing is to choose the right carrot. Many people make halwa with any kind of carrot, but this can make a difference in taste. Red, fresh and juicy carrots are considered better for halwa. Such carrots have good natural sweetness and taste good after cooking. Using carrots that are too dry, old or hard can affect the texture of the halwa.
coarsely grate carrots
If the carrots have been grated too coarsely, the fibers may be felt even after cooking. Due to this, the pudding does not appear soft while eating. However, grating it too finely can cause the carrots to melt quickly and change the texture of the halwa. Therefore it is better to grate the carrots in medium size. Due to this, the carrots cook well and its taste remains intact in the halwa.
not cooking carrots properly
Rushing while making carrot halwa is one of the biggest mistakes. Many people do not cook it for enough time after adding carrots and quickly start preparing halwa by adding milk or sugar. By doing this the carrot does not become completely soft and its rawness may be felt. It would be better to cook the carrots thoroughly on low or medium flame. Keep stirring occasionally, so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
keep on high flame after adding milk
Milk helps in adding flavor and creamy texture to carrot halwa. But cooking on high flame after adding milk is not the right way. This can cause the milk to dry quickly or stick to the bottom of the pan. The taste of halwa may also be affected. Therefore, after adding milk, keep the flame medium or low and keep stirring the halwa in between. With this, milk and carrots will mix well.
add more sugar at the beginning
Many people add a lot of sugar in the beginning while making halwa. By doing this, water starts coming out from the carrots and the pudding may become thinner than necessary. Due to this it also takes more time to thicken it. The better way is to add sugar after the carrots and milk are cooked well. Add sugar as per your choice and natural sweetness of carrots.
Not using ghee and mawa properly
Ghee and mawa play an important role in enhancing the taste of carrot halwa. If too little ghee is added, the halwa may appear dry and bland. At the same time, adding more ghee than required can make the halwa heavy and greasy. Similarly, mawa should also be added in correct quantity. Before adding mawa, crumble it well and mix it well in the halwa. This gives better taste and thickness to the halwa.
Not driving continuously and turning off the gas in a hurry
While making halwa, it is important to stir it occasionally. If this is not done, carrots, milk and mawa may stick to the bottom of the pan and due to burning, the halwa starts having a slight burnt smell. Furthermore, the halwa should be cooked until its excess water and milk dries up. When the halwa starts appearing thick and the ghee becomes slightly visible, then understand that it is almost ready.
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