Khoya Gaajar ka Halwa (Carrot halwa)

I have always seen my mother make this halwa every winter and it is out of this world. This is my mums recipe and by far the most awesome Gajar ka halwa recipe i have tasted. No words can explain how amazing this halwa is. It takes time but it is worth all the time and effort, really. I feel a good Gajar ka halwa is always nicely caramelized and slowly cooked. You should not feel as if you are eating boiled carrots with sugar. It should get nicely amalgamated with all the other ingredients and that happens only if you slow cook it and stir it vigorously (it a good exercise for your arms too, haha). 

What you need:

Carrots,  1 kg ( Please don't get the orange ones, only red ones. They are more sweeter and juicy )

Full fat milk, 1 ltr 

Sugar, 150 gm aprox.

Fresh Khoya/khoa/mawa, 125 gm 

Milkmaid, 1/2 cup, optional (if you avoid this you should increase the amount of sugar)  

Ghee/clarified butter, 1 cup 

Green cardamom or chotti elaichi powder/freshly crushed , 1 tsp 

Cashews, chopped coarsely 

Almonds, chopped coarsely 

Raisins 

Wash and dry the carrots nicely. Now peel and grate them. Take a clean kadhai/heavy bottomed pot and boil the milk  and add carrots on slow flame for at least 3 hours (lid on) till the time there is no milk in the kadhai.  During this period, occasionally stir in between to avoid the carrots sticking to the bottom of the kadhai. You can increase the flame and stir vigorously in the last stage in order to reduce the milk faster. 

Once the milk reduces add sugar and milkmaid slow flame. Make sure you taste this mixture now because if you like it sweeter you can add more sugar to it. This option is flexible. Once the sugar dissolves (taste again at this point to check if it has enough sugar), it will start leaving water. Make sure you reduce this water. The mixture should be thick once it reduces and caramelized. 

Now add khoya/khoa to the mixture and stir for sometime till the dissolves, dries up and mixes completely with the mixture. Now add pure ghee and stir vigorously till the mixture starts leaving ghee from the sides. In the end add  green cardamom and dry fruits. And we are done!