Chuqandar ka Halwa
Chuqandar, in Urdu, also called as Beetroot in English are one of my favorite veggies. This nitrate rich, gorgeous root vegetable is best eaten as a salad, roasted, boiled or steamed and then seasoned lightly for added flavor. They are high in fibre, calcium, potassium, folate, antioxidants, vitamin A and C, minerals and other micro nutrients and quite low in calories. They are also used to treat hypertension and hence maintain a healthy cardio vascular system.
Beetroot – Chuqandar
Be careful when you are working with these ground vegetables, as its juices tend to stain whatever comes in contact, like your hands, chopping board etc.
Beetroots are also commonly referred to as Sweet Beets, as they are very sweet in taste. They have a unique earthy sweetness in them, and are hence perfect for halwa or a dessert to serve on special occasions.
Serves – 2 to 4
Chuqandar ka Halwa – Beetroot Dessert
Ingredients:
Beetroot – 1, medium sized, washed, peeled and coarsely grated
Fat free Half and Half cream – 1 cup
Sugar – 4 to 5 tbsp or according to taste (the amount of sugar depends on the size and sweetness of the beets)
Ghee – 1 tsp
Finely slivered blanched almonds+pistachios – 1 tsp
Raisins + chopped walnuts – 1 tsp
Beetroot Dessert -Chuqandar Halwa
Method:
-Heat a thick bottomed non-stick saucepan at medium heat and add the grated beetroot.
-Pour in the cream and let simmer uncovered on low until most of the cream has been absorbed by the beetroot. Keep stirring it occasionally.
-During the mean time, heat ghee in a pan at medium heat and throw in the prepared dry fruits and nuts. Roast them until they turn golden brown. Reemove from heat and keep aside.
-Add sugar to the cooking beetroot and let cook for a furthur 5 minutes or until the halwa is thickened.
-Serve warm or cold garnished with the roasted dry fruits and nuts in ghee.
I am sending this royal halwa over to RCI-Lucknow cuisine.
For some more ideas on how to use beets, head over to the healthnut blog.
Luv,
Mona
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March 11th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Wow…..This is sure a Royal Halwa with much Cream. Thank You Mona for the delicious colourfull entry!
March 11th, 2009 at 7:58 am
lovely color…. 🙂
March 11th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and I’ve never seen a dessert made with them. This looks delicious! I am going to have to try it! 🙂
March 12th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Love the color and delicious looking halwa!
March 12th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Wow lovely colour and healthy too
March 12th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Wah..am loving the color of this Halwa..yummm..!!
First time here Mona..nice space..:)
March 12th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Totally tempting halwa,nice glossy texture.
Thanks for the nice comments,I’m also thankful to have found you:)
March 13th, 2009 at 7:42 am
OOOOOH! its looks lovely! i’ve never before heard of beetroot ka halwa! will try! 🙂
March 13th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Mona, the halwa looks stunning,n moist… its my hubbys fav 🙂
March 15th, 2009 at 8:57 am
monajee, will u pls take truble to explain me half and half cream? what is that? can we use mava istead of cream ? thanks
Half and Half is half cream and half milk. To prepare 1 cup of half and half, mix half cup cream and half cup milk. Yes, you can definitely use mava or khoa instead~Mona
November 13th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
mona this is lovely! i had no clue you could make halwa from beetroots, i adore chukkandar and like having it in a chaat. this dish has so much visual appeal and i am sure it tastes just as good. is it your own creation or were you inspired by your Ammi? best wishes, shayma
Shayma, Jazakallahu khairun for all the appreciation and kind words. You guessed right, my Ammi is the inspiration for this Halwa and I made it according to her instructions and alhamdulillah it was wonderful. ~Mona
March 29th, 2011 at 1:42 am
Lovely picture of the halwa.
My Late Grandmother used to make this meetha… And we all used to like it like anything.
Thank ou very much for the reciepe.
JazakAllah.
April 2nd, 2011 at 12:08 pm
What a lovely color!
Thank q.