Beetroot Halwa

I learnt this recipe ages ago when I took a summer vacation cooking class at Catering College in Dadar, Mumbai. With the gorgeous deep red beets, this halwa turns out as good as it looks (don't go by my picture). This time around, I made it slightly different from the recipe I have 'coz - a) I wanted to use up some ingredients I had on hand and b) these days I find I can never follow a recipe exactly (except in baking), I always eyeball the ingredients.

Anyway, here is the exact recipe from my Catering College class handout:

Beetroot 115 grams
Sugar 60 grams
Mawa/Khoya 60 grams
Ghee (Clarified butter) 30 grams
Cardamon - few
Pistachio 15 grams

Peel & grate the beetroot.
Heat the ghee and fry the beetroot. Add a little water and let it cook.
Add sugar and continue cooking.
When the mixture is almost dry, add mawa and powdered cardamon.
Cook till it forms balls when tested with fingers.
Remove and spread on a greased thali/plate.
Garnish with chopped nuts and vark, if desired.

Here's how I made it yesterday:
1 cup peeled and grated beetroot
3 tbsp ricotta cheese
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp ghee
A generous pinch of cardamon pwd
Almonds to garnish

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the beets and fry for 2 mins. Add the ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Mix and cook on medium heat for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Cook till the mixture is almost dry. Add cardamon pwd. Mix well. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, garnished with chopped nuts.

Either way you make it, the halwa tastes great.

This Beetroot Halwa goes to the Healing Foods - Beets event at Mharo Rajasthan. This event was started by Siri.