Carrot Halwa Trifle

I am sharing the recipe for Carrot Halwa Trifle I made for last night’s pop-up dinner. It is a simple dish and I can even call it as India’s national dessert – Gajar Ka Halwa. The finely grated carrots are cooked with milk, heavy cream, condensed milk and cardamom. I reduced it to a creamy, thick mass. Traditionally, they are served warm on cold winter nights but I took the liberty to play with it. This dish is created from my inspiration from American Cheese cake and trifle. I made a coarse crust with Indian digestive biscuits and ghee. That was my starting point. I build the dish by adding hot carrot halwa to it, followed by whipped cream, roasted cashews and coconut.
My guests loved it. I was flying high as everyone who were there for my dinner lst night has such great things to say about my cooking, plating and interaction. Overall, I am one happy girl tonight.

Gajar Ka Halwa / Carrot Halwa Trifle
Ingredients
For the carrot halwa:
- 3 cups carrots, grated
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tbsp
cardamom powder
For the trifle
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- 1/4 cup roasted sweetened dessicated coconut, pulsed to form powder
- Whipped cream
- 20 Digestive biscuits or ginger snap cookies, crushed and mixed with 1/2 cup ghee or melted butter
Equipment
Pressure Cooker - Shot glasses
Instructions
Pressure Cooker Method:
- Dump all the ingredients listed under “for the carrot halwa” and pressure cook it for 1 whistle. Once the pressure has settled down, remove the lid and let them cook for 15 minutes on medium flame until they turn into a creamy mass.
Slow Cooker Method:
- You can also use a slow cooker to make the carrot halwa
Stove-Top Method:
- You can all the ingredients listed to make carrot halwa into a large pot and cook them in medium-low flame for 45-60 minutes until they turn into mushy and creamy lump.
To assemble the trifle:
- Dry roast the desiccated coconut and once cooled, grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.
- If you are using raw cashews, roast them in little butter or ghee until they turn golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the crushed biscuits in the shot glass, then spoon little bit carrot halwa followed by whipped cream and garnish with roasted cashews and coconut.

Advika is a talented Indian cook with a passion for sharing her culinary expertise with others. Born and raised in India, she has spent years mastering traditional recipes from across the country, as well as putting her own unique twist on classic dishes. Her recipes are easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips for cooks of all levels