5 Ways to Upgrade Gajar Ka Halwa with Bournville This Eid

Eid deserves desserts that are rich, wholesome, and dripping in ghee. You might be thinking in the direction of gajar ka halwa, because that is what we are hinting at. By its own, gajar ka halwa already does most of the heavy lifting, with its mushy, slow-cooked carrots, reduced milk, with the whiff of cardamom and ghee, but we wanted to take it further. To not overwhelm the already sweet dessert, we added dark chocolate – Cadbury Bournville Dark Chocolate (50% or 70%), to the mix, to make it even more rich and velvety. We recommend adjusting the sugar a tad in the gajar ka halwa recipe to get an optimally sweet Bournville-infused gajar ka halwa.

1. Add Bournville Chocolate Chunks to Freshly Prepared Gajar ka Halwa

Just before turning off the heat, grate the Bournville dark chocolate straight into the halwa once it’s nearly ready, preferably, after the milk has thickened, when the ghee starts to show at the edges. Break or chop the dark chocolate into smaller pieces, then stir the dessert to melt the chocolate, to coat the gajar ka halwa with it. The smell turns unmistakably cocoa-rich, mingling with the gajar ka halwa’s ghee-rich scent, without smothering it. This idea is for the chocolate lovers who don’t like their halwa too sweet, and don’t mind the bitter edge of the dark chocolate. The chocolate adds to the sweetness and cuts down on the refined sugar in it. If you are using jaggery instead of sugar, there is nothing like it. It will definitely add to the nutrition and also lower the caloric count of this dessert.

2. Adding Bournville Ganache to the Gajar ka Halwa

Take a bar of Bournville dark chocolate, pick the one with the higher cocoa content, if you don’t mind the slight bitter edge. For this, add the chopped dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Meanwhile, simmer cream in a saucepan until hot and steaming, but not boiling. Once heated, pour it over the melted chocolate pieces and let it sit for a while, then stir to mix until smooth. Aim for a 2:1 ratio of the proportion of the cream to the dark chocolate. Once close to room temperature and still pourable, spoon it over the hot halwa carelessly. Don’t flood it with the ganache and exercise some restraint; you are not frosting the dessert. This step will let the ganache slump into the halwa’s crevices and allow it to soak in a bit. The ganache interrupts the halwa’s overly sweetness, and enhances the subtle flavor of the carrot and richness of the ghee.

3. Use Irregular Bournville Chocolate Shards

Freeze the Bournville until it's rock hard, then shave it down with a knife into thick shards, not curls, or fine chocolate dust. Toss them over warm gajar ka halwa just before serving. These small shards of chocolate will create little pockets of melted dark chocolate that will create an amazing contrast against the desi goodness of the ghee-rich gajar ka halwa. It might take a while for the chocolate to melt, depending on when you add the chocolate shards – we recommend warm. This will make every bite feel like you are biting into a thin edge of chocolate, which almost instantly melts in the mouth.

4. Bournville Chocolate-rich Ladoos

Roll slightly cooled gajar ka halwa into tight, dense spheres. You might need to cook your gajar ka halwa a little longer for the ladoos to hold their shape. But don't overcook and dry out the dessert either. Roll then check if they keep their shape, freeze for a while if needed, to set them, then dip them into melted Bournville and set them down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep it outside, and let the chocolate dry without refrigeration for a matte look. These might just vanish just as you make them, especially if kids are around!

5. Gajar ka Halwa Tart with Bournville

Make a rough base with roasted cashews or almonds, crushed and stirred into melted Bournville with a bit of sea salt. Press it into a shallow tart tin and let it cool until firm but not brittle. Spoon in the warm halwa with ample wetness; you need a thick version, not runny. Smooth it with the spoon, pressing down carefully to fill any gaps. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, which should be just enough for it to slice with less mess.