Amrutham - food of the Gods

Amrutham (a dessert of carrots,almonds cooked in milk)
Bowl in pic was robbed from A's kitchen

Well, it really does taste like food of the Gods. Ambrosia would be the closest translation to the Sanskrit word Amrutham. One of our friends Mohan had brought this dessert to a potluck party on Tamil New Year day back in April. I really liked the dessert so I asked him for a recipe. He sent the recipe to me the very next day but I somehow never got around to making it. Finally, this last weekend, I made it at another of our friend A's home. It is definitely much more fun cooking in A's big, spacious and airy kitchen. It makes cooking all the more fun.

I am just doing a copy paste of the recipe that Mohan had sent me. Yes, folks he really did send me the detailed instructions :) that you see. Thank you Mohan for the recipe and thank you A for giving me a chance to actually make it :).

Software
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• 4-6 carrots
  
• 2-3 tbsp ghee/Clarified butter
  
• ½ gallon milk - whole or 2%
  
• 1 cup almonds peeled, unpeeled, or sliced, powdered
• 15 kernels cashews, split into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1/2 cup sugar (optional)
  
• 6 cardamom pods, powdered
• 6 cloves, powdered

Hardware
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• One grater
• One sauce pan

Method
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• Wash and peel 4-6 medium sized carrots, and grate them finely.
• In a big pan, saute the grated carrots with 2-3 table sppons of ghee.
• Once the carrots are partly cooked, pour 3-4 cups of milk, let ot boil, and stir occasionally until carrots are very softly cooked.
• Carefully mix powdered almonds adding required amount of milk; break any lumps, and make a smooth paste.
• In instalments, add the almond paste to the cooked carrots; stir continuously to avoid lumping.
• Add condensed milk, stir to make a homogeneous mixture.
• Add the sugar, stir to dissolve; allow to boil for a while.
• The required consistency is like a payasam/paramanam. Add more milk, or boil to thicken as needed.
• Taste the Amrutham, add more sugar, if needed.
• If the consistency and sweetness are OK, remove the pan from heat.
• Add powdered elaichi and cloves.
• Heat a smaller pan with 1 table spoon of ghee; stir & fry cashews until light brown; add to Amrutham.
• Reheat the smaller pan with 1 table spoon of ghee; stir & fry raisins until 75% of raisins bulge; add to Amrutham.
• Mix the Amrutham well, serve either hot or cold or however.

Since this has carrots in it, a great antioxidant rich veggie, I am sending this over to lovely Cate of Sweetnicks for her weekly ARF/5-a-day roundup.