The only way I can best describe a halwa is by equating it to jam. That’s right, call it ‘Rogue jam’ made from vegetables or nuts, even lentils and wheat that you can eat as dessert in a single sitting and tell yourself it’s somehow twistedly healthy. Sounds great, right? And of all the halwas out there, this Beetroot Halwa is my favourite.
Beetroot halwa is one of the lesser known halwas and even most Indians squint their eyes in suspicious curiosity at the mention of its name. Personally, I don’t like beetroots as a vegetable. No offense, but something that sweet has no place among vegetables. And don’t even get me started about sweet potatoes! Surprisingly, carrots I’m ok with. So when you cook beets as a vegetable with green chillies and ginger, there’s something so revolting there for me to truly enjoy it for what it is – something sweet. Hey, but that’s just me!
But cook it as a dessert and I will shamelessly lick the bowl clean- a ploy that my mother played party to, and encouraged. If the color doesn’t invite you in, I don’t know what will. Blood-red maroon (bordering on black) gleaming with sugary sweetness, topped with roasted cashews. It’s oh-so easy to forget that you’re actually eating a root vegetable.
To make this dessert, you’ll start off with some beets. Wash and peel them, then run them through the smallest side (bigger than a zester, please) of your grater. Do not drain or discard the juices, and you’ll probably need gloves if you don’t want to walk around looking like a murderer!
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt ghee (substitute with oil or go healthier by just dry roasting) and roast the cashews until golden brown. Drain and set aside. Try not to snack on them as the beets cook. Seriously, try very hard not to.
Add the grated beets into the remaining ghee and sauté until some of the juices evaporate. Add milk (or water), stir well, cover and cook until the beets are cooked.
Stir in the sugar and wait for the sugar to melt. Keep stirring as it turns syrupy, and continue to cook uncovered till the halwa thickens.
Remove from heat, top with cashews and serve. Hot or cold, this Beetroot Halwa tastes great either way! Kick it up a notch by topping with a scoop of cold vanilla ice-cream!
Halloween Tip:
Use this Halwa/Pudding as a great blood/inards look-alike! I’d love to see your creations!
Notes:
– To make this VEGAN – substitute ghee with oil and milk with water. It’ll miss some of the creaminess, but still tastes great!
– Grate the beetroot through a medium fine grater. It cooks faster and reduces to near pulp consistency, yet still has a slight bite to it.
– Wait till the sugar thickens to a syrup, and keep reducing until almost all the liquid dries up. Remember, the halwa continues to thicken as it cools.
When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.
Beetroot Halwa
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:20m
- Total Time:35m
- Serves: 4
- Yield: About 2-3 cups
Ingredients
- 3 c of Beetroot, washed, peeled, grated using the finest grater
- 1 c sugar, to taste*
- 2 -3 tsp ghee (substitute with vegan butter / vegetable oil)
- 1/4 c milk ( Vegans - substitute with water/coconut milk)
- 10 -15 Cashewnuts, broken to bits.
Instructions
- Melt ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cashews until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the grated beets and stir until the juices evaporates a bit.
- Add milk, stir well, cover and cook till it's no longer raw.
- Stir in the sugar, keep stirring until the halwa thickens. Remove from heat. Remember, as it cools, it'll continue to thicken, so you'll want to remove while there's a little bit of moisture left.
- Sprinkle the cashews and serve. Hot or cold, tastes great anyway!
MIK says
June 5, 2018 at 5:04 amI made it last night while waiting for suhoor (late night supper for Ramadan fasting). It was easy and comparatively quicker, I’d say. And it tasted great, really! Btw, I used about a cupful of milk and a little more of Ghee, you know why; unless you are a vegan you tend to use ingredients lavishly for desserts, much like Nigella!
Tina Dawson says
June 11, 2018 at 10:21 amThat is exactly how Halwa is made to be, but since I’m vegan, I had to cut down on the dairy, but I can imagine how amazing it must have tasted. I am so glad you liked it!!! Thank you for letting me know!
Sagarika says
March 20, 2017 at 10:30 amAfter work rushed home soon with the thought of surprising hubby today with this… oh my my… really worked wonders. Simply yum..
Tina Dawson says
March 20, 2017 at 12:01 pmThanks so much Sagarika! I’m so glad you liked it! Send me pictures, if you have any 🙂
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
September 22, 2016 at 8:18 amI adore beets and I love halwa but never have I ever had or thought to make a beet halwa – so loving this creation!
Tina Dawson says
September 22, 2016 at 9:29 amOh Shashi it’s really delicious! You never get a feeling of eating a root vegetable at all! Besides, you know how healthy they are! They are basically ‘edible blood generators’!
Jenn says
September 21, 2016 at 9:53 pmI love the idea of using this as “blood” in a Halloween treat. I’ve always thought of beets as very earthy, but you are right, they are definitely sweet too. I like using sweet roasted beets in smoothies – turns it gorgeously pink! 🙂
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 11:26 pmOh beet blood would be delish to drink in a vampire themed party!
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says
September 21, 2016 at 4:40 pmI’ve never heard of this before! What a cool way to use beets. Such a pretty color!
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 11:26 pmThanks Sophia!
April J Harris says
September 21, 2016 at 2:01 pmI have never had halwa, but it sounds delicious. Love the idea of using beetroot for it, so flavourful, healthy and tasty too!
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 11:27 pmThanks April! I absolutely love these!
Karyn says
September 21, 2016 at 12:55 pmhi .. a very delicious recipe.. i love beetroot so this is one for me.. stunning photos
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 11:27 pmThanks so much Karyn!
Tania Sheff says
September 21, 2016 at 11:46 amWhat an interesting recipe! I love cooking with beetroot, so I’ll give this a try. Pinned!
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 12:49 pmPlease do Tania, it’s quite delicious as a dessert!
Platter Talk says
September 21, 2016 at 11:04 amBeetroot Halwa is a completely new dish for me. I love pickled beets, tho and am going to try this dish out with the kids for a dessert treat! I’ll let you know what they think! Thank you.
Tina Dawson says
September 21, 2016 at 12:49 pmI’d love to know how they liked it! 🙂
Emilie J says
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Tina Dawson says
July 10, 2014 at 1:04 amHi Emilie,
I am already a member at MyTaste.in. You can see your button displayed on my sidebar.
Thanks for inviting me again tho!