Beetroot Halwa Recipe

2 bowls of Beetroot Halwa served in a tray with spoons in them

Beetroot halwa is a light and delicious Indian dessert recipe that's vegan and gluten-free. It's made with jaggery powder and without khoya. Make this quick and easy halwa recipe in just 25 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 297.43kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

3 beetroots grated
2 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
1 tablespoon cashews
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 tablespoon pistachios
2 cups coconut milk
100 gms jaggery powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ cup almond powder

Instructions

Wash, peel, and grate the beets medium thick. Discard any big chunks of beets. 3 beets gave me 4 cups of grated beets. You don't need to precook the beetroots.
Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan. Fry cashews, almonds, and pistachios in ghee till they turn light golden.
Transfer it to a bowl once done.
Crush them coarsely using a mortar pestle.
If using jaggery blocks, crush them using a mortar pestle. You can alternatively use jaggery powder.
Add another tablespoon of coconut oil to the same pan. Then add the grated beetroot and saute it for 8-10 minutes on medium flame. Roasting the beets gives the halwa a nice, sweet smell and removes the earthy aroma of raw beets.
Then, add the coconut milk to the pan and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the flame and cook it for 10-12 minutes.
Keep stirring at regular intervals. The milk has to reduce to 75% to 80%.
Next, add the jaggery powder, and salt. Mix.
Keep cooking the halwa till it thickens, turns glossy. Basically, you need to cook it till all the milk gets absorbed by the beets. This could take 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
Mix in the almond powder and cardamom powder. Almond powder helps thicken this halwa.
Take the beetroot halwa off the flame once it doesn't stick to the pan. Finish it off by adding the fried nuts on top. Mix and serve it hot or cold.

Video

Notes

Just remember, the beets are not cooked. They are added raw. They get cooked along with the milk. You can also use frozen beets. Just thaw it to room temperature and grate. Grate them medium thick. Grating it very fine will cause it to dissolve while cooking and will not give you the desired texture.

Along with nuts, you can also add a few raisins. Even better, mix grated carrots and beets to make this halwa! Other than almond milk, you can also use coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk. You can also use water instead.

Finish off the recipe with a teaspoon of rosewater if you have and want, it adds a lovely depth of flavor. If making for a crowd, be sure to use a ton of beets as they drastically reduce once fully cooked.

Nutrition