Gajar ka halwa with Goguma Banana Frozen Fruit and Konggaru Crumb - Indian Carrot Pudding with Goguma Banana Frozen Fruit and Toasted Soybean Crumb
Hot meets cold with this warm spiced carrot pudding, cold earthy goguma banana frozen fruit and crisp nutty crumb.
Gajar ka halwa w/ Goguma Banana Frozen Fruit and Konggaru Crumb - Indian Carrot Pudding w/ Goguma Banana Frozen Fruit and Toasted Soybean Crumb
Serves 4 - 5
The Frozen Fruit was actually the creation of my favorite human Claude who decided that he wanted banana ice cream with goguma mixed in. I’ve called it Frozen Fruit instead of ice cream because the texture is not exactly ice cream-like. As children, my mom didn’t keep many frozen snacks on hand as my brother and I preferred to get our frozen treat fix from the ice cream truck. However, for herself, my mom kept FrozFruit bars in the freezer, usually either the coconut or strawberry flavor. This frozen fruit, kind of reminds me of the FrozFruit my mom used to buy.
After seeing a video of gajar ka halwa online, I wanted to attempt my own take on it. You would think that cooking shredded carrots for an hour would make them mush but that does not happen. Here the carrots soften yet retain their texture making for a creamy, lightly sweetened and spiced end result that is addictive. Traditionally served with sliced almonds or cashews, I combined chopped almonds with untoasted soybean flour which I then toasted. The addition of sugar which caramelizes while cooking then wraps around the toasted flour creating a nutty crumb that adds a pleasant crunch to the final dish.
“Recipe Tips:
1. This is not a completely authentic Indian gajar ka halwa rather my take on this delicious warm carrot pudding.
2. Optionally, you can use store-bought toasted soybean powder and mix in chopped, toasted almonds. I wouldn’t suggest making the crumb with the store-bought toasted soybean powder as it may burn too quickly.
3. The crumb can be subbed with granola and the Frozen Fruit can be subbed with vanilla ice cream.
4. Add a few pieces of good quality milk chocolate on top of the warm halwa and top with the Frozen Fruit for an indulgent twist.”
Ingredients
Goguma Banana Frozen Fruit
620g (a little more than 1.25 lbs) goguma, steamed or roasted whole until very soft, cooled completely and skins removed
100ml (0.50 c) almond milk
2 T Korean rice syrup or honey
22g (1.5 T) granulated sugar
1.75 t vanilla extract
0.75 t ground cinnamon
0.25 t kosher salt
408g (3) well-ripened bananas, cut into 1 in chunks
1 unfrozen
2 frozen
Gajar ka halwa
30g (2 T) coconut oil
680g (1.5 lbs) carrots, grated
0.50 t kosher salt
400ml (2 c) milk
Finishing
60g (0.25 c) dark brown sugar
8g (2 t) vanilla extract
0.50 t heaped ground cardamom
0.25 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground allspice
Konggaru Crumb
66g (0.25 c) untasted soybean flour
45g (0.25 c) whole almonds, chopped
45g (3 T) granulated sugar
Recipe Know-how
Frozen Fruit
1. In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients except the frozen bananas until very smooth.
Scrape down the processor as needed while pureeing.
Add the frozen banana a few chunks at a time, processing until almost smooth after each addition.
Continue to add the frozen banana, scraping down the processor as needed and processing until smooth until all of the banana has been added.
If necessary, add a little more milk 1 T at a time to help loosen the mix and aid processing.
Taste the frozen fruit and adjust sweetness as desired.
Pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid and scoopable.
Gajar ka halwa
2. In a large nonstick saute pan over high heat, melt the coconut oil.
Add the carrots and salt and saute stirring occasionally for 1 – 2 minutes or until the carrots begin to change color slightly.
Add the milk and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook stirring occasionally for 30 – 45 minutes longer.
Finished halwa should be thick with no liquid remaining and beginning to caramelize slightly.
Make the crumb while the halwa finishes.
Crumb
3. In a medium nonstick saute pan over medium-high, place the soybean flour and almonds.
Using a heatproof spatula, stir the flour constantly until it begins to brown slightly, about 3 minutes.
Intermittently take the pan off the heat, while continuing to stir to ensure even toasting and prevent burning.
Add the sugar and continue to cook for 2 – 3 minutes longer or until golden brown.
The sugar will begin to melt and stick to the flour and almonds, as before, continue to intermittently take the pan off the heat to ensure even melting and distribution.
As the sugar melts, it will also, begin to clump in places, continue stirring and mixing through the browning flour and almonds.
Pour onto a plate and cool completely.
Assembly
4. Remove the Frozen Fruit from the freezer 30 – 45 minutes prior to serving as it is firmer than traditional ice cream.
5. Divide the warm gajar ka halwa between bowls, top with scoops of the Frozen Fruit and a sprinkle of the crumb.
6. Serve.
