gajar ka murabba.....made in microwave..

Here comes a dessert which is very very healthy and is a traditional dessert i must say.....murabba is a sweet preserve of a fruit and is Indian version of jam , the murabba can be made to look like a candy when it is made with higher amount of sugar , or it may be made like a chunky jam . Many fruits are traditionally preserved to make murabba , amle ka murabba is the most common i have seen personally ( my dad used to force us to eat the murabba , made in huge quantities every year ) , seb ka murabba , karonde ka murabba , bel ka murabba ( my dad could not succeed in his attempts to make us eat this one ) , ananas ka murabba and so on ....basically any fruit can be preserved like a murabba ( some of them having huge health benefits like amla n bel ka murabba )....some murabbas like this aam ka chhunda is used like a sweet chutny or a spread...

Carrots is a less likely choice to be made into a murabba , but it is considered very healthy ( toning food ), it is best to be made in season i think , and i always prefer making it in jaggery to get maximum flavors  and to make it differently flavored than gajar ka halwa , as we mostly have it with a topping of malai.....it can be served without cream too.....

Carrot murabba is considered very healthy and healing food when taken with milk for breakfast ( some cereal can be conveniently added to it for good reasons ) ...here i have made it like a dessert , different from gajar ka halwa.....

Traditionally , whole carrots are peeled , forked and cooked in jaggery or sugar syrup till the syrup becomes frothy with bubble sand the carrots look shiny and glazed nicely ( 600-700gm sugar / jaggery per kilo of carrots ) ...after cooling the carrot murabba is kept in airtight jars , the murabba can be spiced according to your choice....


 In my instant version , carrot slices are microwaved with crumbled jaggery to make a murabba and then it is served with a topping of homemade malai , i still prefer home made malai because it is fresh and you get more flavor for traditional preparations , of course you can use fresh cream from a tetra pack if you don't get home made malai but i strongly recommend malai for this ...just once you try n you'll know what i mean....

ingredients...
 ( for two servings )

2 large carrots sliced obliquely to get large slices
1/2 cup of crumbled jaggery ( more or less according to choice )
fresh cream or malai to serve 2 tbsp
chopped nuts a handful
candied ginger ( optional ) one slice

procedure...

Place the carrot slices in a large ceramic bowl , cover with the crushed jaggery and microwave for 2 minutes, it gets syrupy as the water from carrot slices is drawn out  , stir and microwave again for 1-2 minutes....the jaggery syrup should froth into bubbles when you see it cooking ....at this stage the carrot slices become almost candied and leathery , giving a nice bite ...

 If you want them softer , you can cook just for 2 minutes and serve after cooling ...but if cooked for longer and till the syrup is frothy n the carrots are leathery , it can be preserved and is more flavorful....as is seen in the right side picture.......

Cool and serve with a topping of malai n chopped nuts .....i had some wonderful candied ginger , so that was also chopped and topped onto it :)

The carrots slices get a good bite after being cooked in a thick syrup ( as no water is added and the syrup is formed from the water released by carrots )..... the  jaggery gives it a depth in flavor , the cream makes it so melt in the mouth when you are biting into the carrot slices , nuts give it additional texture and the candied ginger bits lend a burst of another deep flavor to it....

I got this wonderful candied ginger from a Uttarakhand stall at trade fair this season , it's so good i can't stop using it in my cooking.... in the picture it is below the packet of black currants , those white roundels....

Apart from these candied ginger i bought a lot of goodies from trade fair , from stalls of different state... ....black currants , banana chips , methi khakhra , walnuts , cashews with skin on ( not in the picture ) and that place mat made of palm wood which i have been using since then for my photos....

Delhi international trade fair is a great place to go to when you want to buy authentic stuff form the artisans themselves , apart from these food items i bought a lot of kantha work kurtas , some kalamkari n ikat fabric etc. etc. It is a great place to be if you are interested in the traditional arts n crafts of India and some other participating countries . I get my green tea , filter coffee . coconut milk powder from Tea , coffee n coconut board of India stalls respectively....getting the real stuff is so easy there...and you can get all types of fruit preserves , achars , spices and murabba too....but not this murabba.....:-)