• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe!
    • Privacy policy
  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Gluten-free
    • By Series
      • 5 Ingredients or less
      • Table for two
      • BAKED not Fried
      • On-screen Food
    • By Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Sauces and curry
      • Drinks & Beverages
      • Snacks
      • Dips and Sides
  • Resources
    • For Bloggers
    • Travelogue
    • Kitchen Wisdom
  • Perspective
  • Green Life
  • Shop
  • Contact

Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

June 23, 2014 By Tina Dawson 21 Comments

5 ingredient Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot Halwa

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

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!

Beetroot Halwa

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!

Beetroot Halwa

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.

Beetroot Halwa

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.

Beetroot Halwa

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!

Beetroot Halwa

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

Created by Tina Dawson on August 15, 2016

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

  1. Melt ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cashews until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
  2. In the same pan, add the grated beets and stir until the juices evaporates a bit.
  3. Add milk, stir well, cover and cook till it's no longer raw.
  4. 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.
  5. Sprinkle the cashews and serve. Hot or cold, tastes great anyway!
  • Print

Save

Save

You might also like

  • Pumpkin Halwa Pastry TartsPumpkin Halwa Pastry Tarts
  • Yellow Pumpkin HalwaYellow Pumpkin Halwa
  • Beetroot pudding | Rescue Beet puddingBeetroot pudding | Rescue Beet pudding
  • Beet Gel | Beetroot Masala KetchupBeet Gel | Beetroot Masala Ketchup
  • Vegan Coconut CurryVegan Coconut Curry
  • Pumpkin Halwa Pastry TartsPumpkin Halwa Pastry Tarts

Filed Under: 5 Ingredients or less, All Recipes, Cuisines, Desserts, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: beetroot, Dessert, gluten free, Indian, South Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Puliyodharai – Tamarind rice – Puliyogare
Next Post: The ‘Chocoholics Anonymous’ Chocolate Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MIK says

    June 5, 2018 at 5:04 am

    I 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!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 11, 2018 at 10:21 am

      That 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!

      Reply
  2. Sagarika says

    March 20, 2017 at 10:30 am

    After work rushed home soon with the thought of surprising hubby today with this… oh my my… really worked wonders. Simply yum..

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      March 20, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      Thanks so much Sagarika! I’m so glad you liked it! Send me pictures, if you have any 🙂

      Reply
  3. Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

    September 22, 2016 at 8:18 am

    I adore beets and I love halwa but never have I ever had or thought to make a beet halwa – so loving this creation!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 22, 2016 at 9:29 am

      Oh 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’!

      Reply
  4. Jenn says

    September 21, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    I 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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 11:26 pm

      Oh beet blood would be delish to drink in a vampire themed party!

      Reply
  5. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says

    September 21, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    I’ve never heard of this before! What a cool way to use beets. Such a pretty color!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 11:26 pm

      Thanks Sophia!

      Reply
  6. April J Harris says

    September 21, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    I have never had halwa, but it sounds delicious. Love the idea of using beetroot for it, so flavourful, healthy and tasty too!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Thanks April! I absolutely love these!

      Reply
  7. Karyn says

    September 21, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    hi .. a very delicious recipe.. i love beetroot so this is one for me.. stunning photos

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Thanks so much Karyn!

      Reply
  8. Tania Sheff says

    September 21, 2016 at 11:46 am

    What an interesting recipe! I love cooking with beetroot, so I’ll give this a try. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      Please do Tania, it’s quite delicious as a dessert!

      Reply
  9. Platter Talk says

    September 21, 2016 at 11:04 am

    Beetroot 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.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      September 21, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      I’d love to know how they liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Emilie J says

    July 9, 2014 at 9:38 am

    Hi!

    Your blog has caught our attention thanks to the quality of your recipes. We would be delighted if you would join us on Mytaste.in so that we could link to your blog.

    Mytaste.in is a search engine that compiles the best Indian cooking sites and blogs from the Internet. We are one of the largest in the world with sites in 37 markets and several hundred blogs are already enrolled here and benefit from the traffic we are sending to their sites.

    To join Mytaste.in, just go to mytaste.in/add-your-food-blog

    Sincerely,

    Emilie
    Mytaste.in

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 10, 2014 at 1:04 am

      Hi Emilie,
      I am already a member at MyTaste.in. You can see your button displayed on my sidebar.
      Thanks for inviting me again tho!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Healthy Beet Recipes - Cricket’s Confections says:
    February 1, 2017 at 7:46 am

    […] Beet Harlow– Love Is In My Tummy I love Harlow, the traditional Indian dessert usually made with carrots. I never thought to make it with beets, boy am I glad I tried. Their natural sweetness works perfectly in this incredible dish! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tina Dawson Profile Picture

Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Email Newsletter

5 Ingredients or Less Ebook Cover

The Blank Canvas Store - Food Photography Backgrounds and Props Store

BUY CUSTOM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUNDS + PROPS

Don’t Miss These!

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

Caramelised Onions in a plate

Caramelized Onions

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte on wooden plate with coffee beans strewn on table

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte

Raspberry Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Dairy-free Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

[V] Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

Puff Pastry Voodoo dolls on a table with Halloween things

Puff pastry Voodoo Dolls

Copyright © 2023 · LOVEISINMYTUMMY · PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT · StudioPress Themes

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Learn More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT