Gajar Halwa & Cashew Diamonds | Live Community Cooking with Shipra | Plainsboro Public Library

Video Description

Welcome to another live community cooking class with Shipra Mitra, filmed at the Plainsboro Public Library in New Jersey! In this reality-style, uncut cooking session, Shipra teaches how to make two classic Indian desserts — the comforting Gajar Halwa (Carrot Halwa) and the festive Cashew Katli (Diamond Burfi). 🎥 Part of our Community Cooking Outreach Program, this class focuses on affordable, traditional, and culturally rich home recipes that bring people together through food. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00-00:30 – Gajar Halwa (Carrot Halwa) Ingredients & Recipe 00:35 – Intro 01:48 - 17:10 – Cooking the Halwa 17:10 - 22:04 – Texture Comparison (Instant Pot vs Pan) 22:04 - 22:43 – Cashew Katli Ingredients & Recipe 22:43 - 36:04 – Grinding & Dough Preparation 36:04 - 40:06 – Rolling & Cutting Diamonds 40:06 – Final Plating & Serving Tips 🥕 Gajar Halwa (Carrot Halwa) Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb carrots, peeled and shredded 1 cup khoya (dried milk) 1 cup milk 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) + 1 tbsp for finishing 4 cardamom pods, crushed 2 bay leaves ¼ cup sugar (adjust to taste) Handful of cashews Handful of raisins Method: Heat ghee in a wok or pan. Add crushed cardamom and bay leaves until fragrant. Add shredded carrots and sauté for a minute. Stir in milk, sugar, and raisins. Bring to a boil. When carrots soften and milk reduces by half, add khoya and cashews. Cook until the mixture thickens and no liquid remains. Finish with 1 tbsp of ghee for a rich shine and aroma. Cashew Diamond (Kaju Burfi) Recipe Ingredients: 200 g frozen raw cashews 200 g powdered sugar 2 tbsp water A few saffron strands (Optional: edible silver foil) Utensils: Cling wrap • Rolling pin • Knife • Mixing bowl • Blender Method: Soak saffron strands in water and set aside. Grind frozen cashews into a fine powder. (Freezing prevents oil release.) Mix an equal amount of powdered sugar with the cashew powder. Add saffron water a few drops at a time until a soft dough forms. (Avoid adding too much water.) Roll the dough between cling wrap sheets to ¼-inch thickness. Apply silver foil on top if desired. Cut diagonally into diamond shapes and let set before serving. 💡 Pro Tips from Shipra’s Kitchen 🥄 For Gajar Halwa: Use concentrated milk instead of condensed milk — it prevents stickiness and keeps texture creamy. 🍯 Sweetness Balance: Stick to the sugar ratio in the recipe. We used slightly less, which made it mildly sweet — a bit more sugar makes it divine! 🍬 For Cashew Diamonds : Add a spoon of powdered sugar while grinding — it absorbs oil and prevents lumps. ❄️ Grinding Hack: Freeze the cashews, grind them lightly into chunks, freeze again, then regrind — it ensures a smooth, non-oily texture. 🍽️ Serving Suggestions Serve Gajar Halwa warm with a drizzle of ghee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy Cashew Diamonds chilled or at room temperature for a festive treat. Perfect for celebrations, potlucks, or cozy dessert nights! 🎥 About This Class Filmed live at Plainsboro Public Library (NJ) as part of our Community Cooking Outreach, promoting healthy, budget-friendly, and culturally inspired cooking. This session captures real-time interactions, audience moments, and traditional Indian sweet-making at its best! 💡 All recipes are included below so you can cook along as you watch! #gajarhalwa #carrothalwa #CashewKatli #kajukatli #indiandesserts #IndianSweets #ShipraMitra #PlainsboroPublicLibrary #communitycooking #cookingclass #cookinguncut #cookingrealityshow #traditionaldesserts #DiwaliSweets #festiverecipes #budgetcooking #vegetariandesserts #healthyeating #indiancuisine #culturalcooking #FoodWithShipra #livecooking #HomeCooking