Mumbai Food: Four chefs offer their twist to the classic gajar ka halwa

With the nip in the air comes the first batch of carrots meant for that oh-so-comforting gajar ka halwa. Four chefs who love innovating share how they would reimagine this humble winter classic

Chef Ranveer Brar
Black gajar ka halwa cheesecake with candied olives and miso cremeux
Black carrots are commonly used to make gajar ka halwa in Lucknow, where I come from. I would purée these carrots and mix them with mascarpone and Philadelphia cream cheese to bake a cheesecake.

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I would top this with black carrot cardamom jelly, and serve it with candied olives and a saucy cremeux of burnt miso, caramel and white chocolate.

Chef Gaurrav Gidwani
Gajar ka halwa carrot cake with caramelised carrot and maple pate
I would give the much-loved gajar ka halwa a twist by retaining its authenticity but serving it differently. The carrots that are used to make the halwa can instead be utilised to make a moist carrot cake, and the carrot and maple pâté will elevate the flavour profile of the dessert.

Chef Sunny Punjabi
Fried ice cream stuffed with gajar ka halwa and caramel sauce
The idea of combining a hot dessert with a cold one has existed for long. Here, instead of serving your hot gajar ka halwa with a dollop of ice cream on the side, stuff it inside vanilla bean ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce and make fried ice cream. The hot, crispy crust will give way to the chilled mixture inside, resulting in a delicious combination of textures and flavours.

Chef Rakhee Vaswani
Gajar ka halwa kanafeh
I would give the halwa a Middle Eastern twist by making it in the form of a kanafeh. This dessert is typically made with cheese pastry that is soaked in a sweet, saffron-flavoured syrup. In my version, I would replace the creamy part with gajar ka halwa. The shredded filo pastry will add texture and crunch to the dish once it is baked. I would serve it with a scoop of ice cream.

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