Carrot Kheer / Carrot Payasam

Carrot Kheer / Navrathri Special Recipes

Starting from today, I will be posting one recipe each day for the 9 days of Navrathri festival. These recipes can be served as Naivedhyam for God and are also very healthy and filling. They are the perfect festive dishes for fasting as well.

Carrot kheer or carrot payasam is the first naivedhyam recipes that I am posting for this Navrathri season. Carrot kheer is so very healthy and delicious that it will not only refresh your body but soul as well. This has all the ingredients that provides energy to our body in this festive season. All your guests who visit during the festive days will be appeased when you serve this simple carrot kheer.

Carrot kheer is rich and creamy, yet light on the tummy. The lovely orange colour of this sweet dish is very appealing to our eyes. The taste is heavenly and is a perfect dish that can be served to God as Prasadam. It has all the benefits of the veggies ( carrots ), milk ( complete food ) and dry fruits ( nutritious ).

The taste is similar to that of badam milk with a little flavour of carrots. I have used minimal amount of carrots and more badam to get the almond flavour from the milk. You can always increase or reduce the amount of almonds or carrots as per your liking and tastes. According to me, the measurements given were just perfect for me and my family.

I have not included any fat ( ghee, oil , etc. ) in this payasam making it a guilt free recipe. Hence, it is very light on your tummy. My family simply loves this payasam and always ask for more. This is also one of the best methods to feed kids who are fussy on eating veggies in their diet.

Carrot payasam is very simple to prepare in no time with basic ingredients that are easily available in our kitchen. Dice the carrots, put in the cooker along with almonds and cashews. Grind to a paste and cook with milk and sugar. It is very simple as said. This is definitely considered to be a beginner´s recipe.    

Preparation

Soak the almonds for atleast 15 minutes and peel the skin. Keep them aside. Peel the skin on the carrots and dice them into circles or small cubes.

Put them into the cooker along with cashews and peeled almonds.

Add little water and cook until 2-3 whistles or until the carrots are soft. Allow the carrots to cool. My carrots actually burnt a little as I put very little water in the cooker. Please excuse me guys for this.

Put the cooled carrots, cashews and almonds in the mixie jar and grind to a fine paste. Keep this aside.

Take boiled milk in another vessel and add sugar.

Allow sugar to completely dissolve in the milk. Now add the grounded carrot paste and mix well.

Cook until one boil and switch off the flame.

Add cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish with saffron strands and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients

Carrots  5 ( small sized ) OR 150 g OR 1 cup of diced carrots

Almonds  10

Cashews  25

Sugar  3/4 cup

Milk  2 1/2 cups

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Pomegranate seeds few to garnish

Saffron strands 2

Method

1. Soak the almonds in water for 15 minutes and peel the skin and keep them aside.
2. Dice the carrots. Cook the diced carrots, cashews and almonds with water in pressure cooker until 3 whistles or until soft.
3. Allow the cooked carrots to cool. Grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. Add boiled milk in a pan and add sugar to it. 
5. Let the sugar dissolve in the milk and add grounded paste to it. 
6. Mix well and cook until a boil. 
7. Add cardamom powder and mix well. 
8. Switch off the flame and garnish with fruits or dry fruits as per your preference.
9. Serve warm or chilled. 
10. 
    

Notes

• You can roast the dry fruits like pistachios, cashews, dry grapes in ghee and add to the carrot kheer.
• 2 tsp of ghee can also be added to make the carrot payasam rich.
• The consistency of the carrot kheer was not too thick nor too thin. 
• If you want a  more thicker consistency then cook for some more time. Alternatively you can also reduce the amount of milk. 
• The carrot kheer can also be prepared with condensed milk. Dilute the condensed milk with milk and add the sugar paste. 
• You can add any kind of fruits like apple, pineapple or papaya and relish it as a custard.