Beetroot Halwa
RECIPE: BEETROOT HALWA
Beetroot Halwa is a colourful, tasty and easy to make halwa using fresh beetroot, milk, cream, spices and nuts. It can be served hot or cold. We prefer to have it hot. If you still haven’t planned anything for Janmashtami go on, make this halwa as it gets ready with 30 minutes.
Sharing This Recipe With The Group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts
The Group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts, started by Renu who blogs at Cook With Renu, helps the members to make an effort to update old posts. We’re on our 11th re-doing post and I simply love this group. Why? Well, its got me to pay more attention to my much neglected old posts. For this post I have updated the pictures and a bit of the write up but the recipe remains the same.
First Published on 10/08/2012 Updated on 31/10/2019
Memories
Today is Janmashtami, Lord Krishna’s birthday, so here’s wishing you all a very Happy Janmashatami. Celebrations will begin at the temples in the evening with abhishek, kirtan, drama and prasad. I feel bad that I was not able to prepare many dishes to offer to Lord Krishna simply because I did not pre-plan.
When my mother in law was living in Mombasa, we would plan who would make what and how many offerings there would be. We’d make anywhere between 7 to 11 dishes or more. After she left for India, I usually make at least 5 different varieties but this year I have managed only 1.
Hopefully next year with a bit of planning I endeavor to make more offerings. However as the saying goes, whatever is offered with your heart God accepts. This year I tried out a new recipe and made this simple halwa for offering.
Some Dishes You Can Prepare to Offer as Prasadam to Kanhaji:
What is Janmashtami?
Known as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, it is an annual Hindu Festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. It’s on the 8th day, ashtami of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight according to the lunar calendar) during the holy month of Shravan.
According to Hindu belief, when the world gets engulfed with evil, God himself takes on human form to come purge the world and lead people back to the right path. Lord Vishnu has incarnated time and again to ensure the preservation of mankind and Krishna is his 8th incarnation. He represents the destruction of evil and the importance of Dharma (Duty).
Who is Lord Krishna?
Lord Krishna is one of the most popular and worshipped divinity. He is the eighth incarnation or avatar of Lord Vishnu. His biological parents Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned by the evil King Kansa, who happened to be His maternal uncle. According to the prophecy, Devaki’s 8th son would destroy King Kansa. Kansa thought he would kill the 8th child. But Narada (a sage who was a musician, traveller and a storyteller) put a question saying 8th child from the beginning, or end?
So King Kansa decided to kill every child. The seventh son (Balaram) was celestially transferred to the womb of Rohini’s womb, first wife of Vasudeva. Lord Krishna was born in the prison. He was born at midnight on a dark night. Miraculously, the guards and everyone in and around the palace fell asleep except for Vasudeva, Devaki and the new born. Vasudeva crossed the stormy Yamuna river at night and took baby Krishna to his friend in the next village Gokul. Lord Krishna was raised by Nandalal and Yashoda.
How the festival Janmashtami started?
Krishna was a special and unique child and the village started celebrating his birthday. Slowly the celebration spread to all areas of Mathura and then to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Soon the whole country was celebrating his birthday.
Rituals that devotees follow on Janmashtami
On Janmashtami day the devotees of Lord Krishna fast from before dawn to midnight. Some fast without taking any food, some eat fruits and nuts and others may fast by consuming one meal which is grain and pulse free.
Birthday Celebrations begin exactly at midnight and after the idols of Baby Krishna are worshipped a wide variety of food is offered . His all time favorite is anything made from milk, yogurt or makhan(butter), basically all dairy products.
Check out this easy to make beetroot halwa, its got Lord Krishna’s favorite milk in it.
BEETROOT HALWA
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated beetroot packed down gently
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup milk powder
- 3 tbsps fresh cream
- 3 tbsps ghee clarified butter
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 to 3 tbsps chopped almonds and pistachios
Instructions
- Mix the cream into the milk powder. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Sieve the mixture to get fine crumbs. Break down the lumps using a spoon.
- Heat 2 tbsps of ghee in a pan over medium heat. I prefer using a non stick pan.
- Add the grated beetroot and saute. Let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid the mixture from getting burnt.
- Add half a cup of milk and let it cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining milk, sugar and milk powder mixture and mix well.
- Keep on stirring and cook till the milk evaporates and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. The mixture should come together in the middle when you stir.
- Add cardamom powder and mix.
- Add the remaining ghee and mix till the halwa becomes glossy.
- Add chopped nuts and mix well.
- Serve immediately in small bowls.
- Or you can leave it in the fridge for 2-3 hours and then roll into balls.
Notes
- Grease your hands with little ghee before rolling the halwa into balls.
- If you like extra sweetness, use ½ cup of sugar..
- Reduce the amount of ghee for a healthier option.
- Instead of milk powder and cream mixture you can use about ½ cup grated fresh khoya or mawa (milk solid).
- For a diabetic friendly option add a sweetener like stevia (about 2 tbsp) by replacing the sugar.
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A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
25 Comments
Anonymous
September 6, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Thank you – a very useful idea. Is beetroot considered farali??
themadscientistskitchen
November 13, 2019 at 12:32 pm
This halwa is different from what I made Mayuri. Thus is definitely more flavorful n delicious. I like the idea of mixing the milk powder with cream. Will make use of the idea when I redo mine.
mayurisjikoni
November 13, 2019 at 6:38 pm
Thanks Archana, also if you get ready made mawa or khoya you can use it.
Renu Agrawal Dongre
November 14, 2019 at 7:50 pm
I am loving this recipe for 2 reasons, one because of beetroot and second because you have used milk powder. Sometimes it is too time consuming to just use milk for such halwa’s. The milk powder will surely save some time. Halwa has turned out rich and delicious Mayuri di.
mayurisjikoni
November 15, 2019 at 6:16 pm
Thank you so much Renu, also overcooking the beetroot gives it a dull colour.
sizzlingtastebuds
November 15, 2019 at 9:59 am
i have made lauki halwa and gajar halwa. This rich, delicuous Beetroot halwa looks so decadent.. i think my little one would love the colour and the taste. Bookmarkign to try once up and cooking again 🙂
mayurisjikoni
November 15, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Thanks Kalyani, get well soon and hope you little one likes it.
jayashreetrao
November 19, 2019 at 10:18 am
I had made beetroot halwa a few years back and it was delicious. This is a good way to feed some healthy food for children.
mayurisjikoni
November 20, 2019 at 4:52 pm
Thanks Jayashree, just love to make halwa using different veggies.
Shobha Keshwani
August 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Beetroot halwa looks so delicious. I have never tried making it with beetroot. I like the idea of mixing the milk powder with cream. I usually add it directly. Will try this tip next time.
mayurisjikoni
August 29, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Thanks Shobha. Mixing the cream with milk powder gives you that khoya like consistency.
Jayashree T.Rao
August 29, 2021 at 6:29 am
Beetroot halwa is tasty and makes a good sweet dish. Your dish reminds me to make it again, it’s been a long time.
mayurisjikoni
August 29, 2021 at 2:24 pm
Thanks Jayashree, go on make it again for the upcoming festival.
Neha
August 30, 2021 at 2:17 am
Beetroot Halwa surely seems a flavorful one. A nice offering on Janmashtami as its got milk too. I guess I would like the cold version. Never had this! Will try out this nutritious and colorful halwa.
mayurisjikoni
August 30, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Thank you so much Neha. Try it out, it is very tasty, especially if you like beetroots like me. And best part it does not require so much sugar like other halwas.
Priya Vj
September 1, 2021 at 10:50 am
Beetroot halwa looks outstanding. Liked the way you have used milk powder ,it certainly saves some time and reduces stirring .also a very handy tip when we don’t have access to khoya or mawa .
mayurisjikoni
September 1, 2021 at 7:02 pm
Thank you so much Priya. I like to use milk powder as I don’t get khoya all the time.
Kalyani
September 5, 2023 at 11:33 pm
Such a colourful , quick and delish beetroot halwa for Naivedyam. My little one would surely like this for a weekend treat sometime soon !
mayurisjikoni
September 8, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Thanks Kalyani. A good way to enjoy beetroot.
Seema Sriram
September 6, 2023 at 7:37 am
With that irresistible colour, the halwa looks so good. I love how you have made the ladoos too with it.
mayurisjikoni
September 8, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Thank you so much. Forming the ladoo was a bit tricky but doable when the halwa is cold.
Priya Srinivasan
September 7, 2023 at 1:49 am
Happy janmashtami mayuri ji! That beetroot halwa looks out of the world! using milk powder and cream is totally new and i bet it makes it more creamy and rich, i m making this for sure!
mayurisjikoni
September 8, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Thanks Priya. Hope you had a wonderful Janmashtami celebration. The milk powder and cream makes it more creamier and rich.
Sarika Gunjal (SpiceZone)
September 7, 2023 at 7:41 am
OMG this Beetroot halwa looks amazing. Love the color, I have never had it and looks like an easy recipe.. will try it soon
mayurisjikoni
September 8, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Thank you so much Sarika. Give it a try and its all natural colour.