Carrot Halwa Blondie Bars

Anushka has been attending playschool for the last three months and the best part was that it required parent participation. Now that its closed for summer, I can't decide which one of us misses it more. The crafts, songs, playtime, new friends...it was awesome going back to school. The last week of school was most exciting, as there were three potlucks, meaning a chance to try three new recipes!! I love a potluck and am most comfortable taking along something sweet. Made brownie bites, brownies and these carrot halwa blondie bars.

This is Nivedita's winning recipe in the Indian category on Cooking Channel's Perfect 3 program and it was such a deserved win!! These bars are fabulous and you'll be so surprised with the first bite, because they do taste just like the halwa. Manoj and I couldn't stop taking bites and I had to actually hide them so I would have enough for the potluck. They were a big hit, even with those not familiar with carrot halwa. Made a second batch for Manoj's friends last week and received a ton of compliments, all thanks to Niv!

Carrot Halwa Blondie Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsps double acting baking powder

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

8 cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup raisins

5 tbs sugar

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup whole milk

8 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C. Grease and line a 9"x13" pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg powder and the crushed cardamom seeds in a big bowl until well combined.

Combine the carrots, raisins, sugar and the condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl. Rinse out the can of condensed milk with the whole milk and add to the bowl. Mix well. Microwave on high for about 5-8 minutes until the carrots lose their raw texture and taste. Stir in the melted butter. 

Pour this mixture into the center of the flour mixture and fold gently just until combined. Do not overmix.

Spread the mixture on the baking pan and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. 

Bake until the top is golden, about 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack completely before cutting and serving. 

Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for upto 2 days or freeze for upto a month.

Beetroot Pulao

One of the things I look forward to on a Sunday morning is visiting the farmers market. I always enjoy my time there and its so much more fun than shopping in a closed supermarket. One thing I buy regularly is a bunch of beets. They are so tender, fresh and juicy, with the greens still attached, something I don't find at the store where I shop for my other groceries. While a simple beetroot thoran is what I love best, this pulao makes a delicious, healthy and quick one pot meal, all you need with it is some yogurt.

I'm also sending this post to Aparna's Photography Exercise 2 and the theme for this month is "Less is More". She has asked us to keep the composition minimalistic, without the use of many props or other distractions, so that all the focus will be on the main subject. I shot the pictures with my Cannon T3i with the 18-135mm lens, in manual mode.

Beetroot Pulao

Ingredients:
1 medium beet with greens and tender stems
1 tbs oil

1 onion, diced

2 tsps ginger garlic paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

curry leaves

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup water

1 cup thin coconut milk

Method:

Wash the rice a couple of times and soak in some water for about 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tbs oil in  a pan and saute the onions and curry leaves until the onions are golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir until it no longer smells raw.

Add the dry spice powders and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the beetroot and mix well. Drain the rice and add to the pan along with the salt and fry everything for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, but do not uncover for another 10 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the pulao with a fork and serve hot with some raita or just plain yogurt.