Mom's Carrot Halwa & A Happy Diwali

Diwali is one of the biggest & brightest festivals in India, but even with the Indian population increasing in the U.S., Diwali it is still kinda missed around here. I really miss India for the number of festivals we have in a year.

I wish America did more to celebrate Diwali, but for now it's just another day at work or school. This year, we've decided to create our own festivities and invite all our local, immediate family to a feast at our house! My in-laws have had no experience celebrating Diwali, so it's kinda exciting to share a bit of my culture with them, right before I enjoy the American Thanksgiving dinner at their house :) We can't legally have fireworks here, but we'll have lamps, a nice fire, some great food, music, and lots of stories to share.

You can read more about the story of Diwali online, but if you were in India you would see lots of lights, oil lamps, fireworks, and amazing food! To me, the meaning of Diwali is in taking time to feel good, appreciating and spending time with your loved ones, and celebrating life. Sounds like American Thanksgiving, right?

Diwali is also a time for starting all things new -- making new ideas into new ventures, like this blog for example ;) The next day after Diwali is the Indian New Year, and I look forward to a great year ahead.

One of my goals this year is to master as many amazing Indian dishes as I can from the most amazing cook in my family -- my mom. I plan to feature one of my mom's recipes every month on this blog, as I had started last month with Mom's Peace Kheer. Here is another great recipe from my mom. You can't have Diwali without great Indian sweets! It's a dessert that warms up your heart, whether you eat it hot or cold. I personally love to dig into it as soon as you turn off the burner.

Below are carrots we used, straight from the source -- via the Ballard Sunday Farmers' Market. You may not always cook with 100% organic, 100% local, or even 100% fresh foods at home -- but it helps any recipe a lot if you use the best version available of the featured ingredient(s).


:: Mom's Carrot Halwa (Gajar Halwa) ::

She used:
3 cups freshly grated, organic, local carrots
6 cups warm whole milk (or 2 cups evaporated milk)
1 tbspn ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup sugar
8-10 thinly sliced almonds
8-10 thinly sliced pistachios
1/2 tspn ground cardamom powder
a pinch of saffron

Her method:
1. In a thick sauce pan, melt the ghee.
2. Add carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add warm milk and stir often, till the mixture thickens and all the milk is soaked up. Do NOT let it stick to the bottom of the pan! It's lot of work stirring this one, but it's worth it!
4. Add sugar, saffron, and stir some more, till the halwa starts to come together and leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Add cardamom and mix it properly.
6. Top it off with the nuts, and you are ready to serve in any dish.
7. Alternately, you can also spread the halwa in a baking pan, add nuts, let it cool, and then slice into squares.
8. Dish out my Mom's Carrot Halwa, light up a candle or a little fire, put your feet up, and enjoy!


Oh! and don't forget to thank my mom for creating this easier and lower calorie halwa recipe ;)

Here are more photos from this year's Diwali snacks :

Happy Diwali and a Happy New Year to all!