BeetRoot Halwa

Beetroots are usually eaten boiled, cooked vegetable or in a salad. This is a dessert recipe with a gorgeous red tinge. Its appealing both with its aroma, flavor and appearance.

I was thinking the idea of making a sweet halwa out of beetroot will turn a little weird, So I took just half a beetroot and then tried with very less amount of ingredients. But the result was a little surprising to me. I tell you, I just loved the aroma and the taste of it. I was a little skeptical what my hubby's feedback would be, as he really do not go for strange vegetarian recipes,that too a dessert. But to my surprise he loved it and appreciated me for my effort and told me that he will love to eat this many more times.

Nutritional Value:(from Wiki)
Beetroots are a rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C, and betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health. It functions by acting with other nutrients to reduce the concentration of homocysteine, a homologue of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine, which can be harmful to blood vessels and thus contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Betaine functions in conjunction with S-adenosylmethionine, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 to carry out this function.

Betaine may protect against liver disease, particularly the build up of fatty deposits in the liver caused by alcohol abuse, protein deficiency, or diabetes, among other causes. The nutrient also helps individuals with hypochlorhydria, a condition causing abnormally low levels of stomach acid, by increasing stomach acidity.


Ingredients:
1. Half a beetroot grated finely
2. 1/4 cup milk
3. 1/4 cup sugar
4. Cardamom powder- a pinch
5. Ghee- 3 tsps
6. Cashew Nuts, to garnish(optional)

Preparation Method:
1. In a non-stick pan, add 2 tsps of ghee and add the grated beetroot.

2. Pour the milk into it. Cover and cook in medium-low flame for 5-6 minutes.
3. When the beets are almost cooked, add sugar. Mix thoroughly.Keep the lid and cook.
4. When the beets are fully done, increase the flame and keep stirring to reduce the milk.
5. Add 1 tsp ghee again and keep stirring and completely reduce the milk leaving the beet into dry semi-solid (halwa) form.
6. When the ghee starts separating and the mixture starts leaving the edge, Sprinkle the cardamom powder. Mix well to infuse the aroma well into it. Switch off the flame and let it cool.
7. Serve garnishing with roasted or dry cashews on top.

Tips and Tricks:
1. Add sugar once the beet is cooked, otherwise the sugar never allows the veggie to cook, the same way as it happen for Rava-Kesari or payasam.
2. Do not add too much of milk, it makes reducing them a long time and you will have to keep stirring them for a long time.
3. Its a better practice to use powdered cardamom without the cover, so that it doesnt give a byte in the soft pudding.
4. Its a usual practice to add roasted raisins also wherever we add roasted cashews, but it takes away all the sweetness and uplift of the beetroot sweetness.
5. Tastes best with vanilla icecream.
6. Tastes good when served chilled too.
7. Its better to use a non-stick pan, so that we dont waste them sticking onto the bottom and sides of the wok.