On hot summer days in the hills, my grandmother would simmer carrots, milk, and jaggery into a sweet mix and freeze it into kulfi. Sitting on the veranda, we licked the cold, creamy carrot kulfi as the valleys stretched below. Summer felt pure and simple.
Gajar ki kulfi
Orange carrots – 2 (washed, scraped, and chopped)
Roasted fox nuts (Makhana) – 1 handful
Jaggery – 1 cup (grated or finely chopped)
Ginger – 1 small piece (washed and peeled)
Fennel seeds – 2 pinches (finely crushed)
Milk – 500 ml
Fresh cream (Malai) – 2 tablespoons
In a heavy-bottomed pan (steel or non-stick), cook the chopped carrots, milk, and roasted fox nuts together. Keep stirring until the milk reduces to half, then turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool and grind it into a smooth paste in a mixer. Add jaggery, fennel seeds, and ginger, and grind again. Mix in the fresh cream. Pour this mixture into kulfi moulds or small bowls, cover, and freeze for about six hours. Once set, enjoy the carrot kulfi as a refreshing dessert after meals.
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Madhu Mehrotra is a homemaker from Uttarakhand