Healthy Carrot Halwa (No sugar, no ghee)

Here’s a healthy Carrot Halwa recipe made without ghee and sugar, yet satisfying and delicious. I have used dates to sweeten the recipe and nuts to provide healthy fats and crunch.

Health Upgrades

1) Raw carrots instead of cooked carrots

If you are thinking ‘Whoa!!, slow down there Swetha, I did not sign up for raw carrots”, I understand. But, hear me out. If there is any vegetable that makes the whole cooked – raw transition super easy, it is carrots. Carrots have a natural sweetness that makes it easy to forget you are eating a raw vegetable.

The reason the raw version is healthier is that the water content is retained. When you cook the carrots down in regular halwa, it gets dry and dehydrated, To make up for that dryness, we add a lot of ghee to make it moist and smooth.

2) Dates instead of sugar:

The dates have some fiber and minerals (nothing that is mind-blowing levels, but better than having zero in sugar). The dates also provide stickiness which brings the halwa together.

3) No ghee (but it is also not fat free on purpose)

Since I am not cooking it on the stove, I am not reducing it with ghee. However, I have added a variety of nuts (almonds, pistachios and walnuts) for the crunch and healthy fat factor. Fats and fiber in a meal reduce the rate of digestion and the conversion slowly into sugar.

Time Upgrades

There is no need to slave over the stove to reduce the halwa. This is a quick and easy chop and blend version.

Healthy Carrot Halwa Recipe

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)

• • 1 cup dates

• • 1.5 cup finely shredded carrots

• • 3 tsp milk powder (Vegan substitute – almond meal or coconut milk powder)

• • 3/4 tsp elaichi powder
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachio)

Instructions

1. Add 1 cup dates to the food processor and run it till becomes a thick paste. (If you don’t have a food processor, try it in a mixie (blender) without adding water, if possible. Since we are not going to heat the halwa, try to avoid extra moisture as much as you can.)

2. Transfer the paste to a stand mixer or use your good old god-given mixer (a.k.a. hands) to blend the items below

3. Add the shredded carrots (the more finely shredded, the better).

4. Add elaichi powder

5. Add milk powder for the creamy effect. If you want to keep it vegan, use almond meal or coconut milk powder as alternatives.

6. Add the chopped nuts

Ta-da!! Upgraded Carrot Halwa ready

Step by Step Photos

1. Make a date paste

   

2. Add elaichi, shredded carrots to the date paste in a mixer

   

3. Add milk powder, chopped nuts and blend

   

4. Get ready to dig in.

   

Additional Resources

Raw carrots have a glycemic index of 16, while cooked carrots have a GI of 49. So, it is really beneficial for your sugar levels to have raw veggies rather than cooked ones. Check out this video for more information on that topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LylsVQ8HFIw

I hope you give this healthy carrot halwa recipe a try. Have you tried making desserts out of raw carrots? Do mention in the comments below.