Beetroot Halwa is a tasty Indian sweet made by slow-cooking grated beetroots with milk, sugar, cardamom, dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 60 minutes
  • Total time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 5
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 500 grams beetroot (or about 3 cups grated beetroot)
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons sugar (or raw sugar - adjust as required)
  • 3 tablespoons ghee
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (or 5 to 6 green cardamom crushed and finely powdered in a mortar-pestle)
  • 15 to 20 cashews
  • 1 tablespoon golden raisins (- optional)

Method

  1. Rinse, peel and grate the beetroots using a hand held grater or food processor.
  2. In a kadai or deep thick bottomed pan, combine milk and grated beetroot.
  3. On a low to medium heat, bring the whole mixture to a boil and then simmer.
  4. Keep on stirring at intervals while the mixture comes to a boil and later simmers.
  5. The grated beetroot will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate.
  6. When the milk has almost reduced to 75% to 80%, add the ghee and sugar to the halwa mixture.
  7. Stir well, continue to simmer and cook on a low heat.
  8. Keep stirring the Beetroot Halwa at intervals.
  9. Towards the end, add the cashews, cardamom powder and raisins (if using) and simmer till all the milk is evaporated. Stir often. Switch off the heat.
  10. Serve Beetroot Halwa hot, warm or cold.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.