Sweet Carrot Cardamom Balls
Print the recipe here.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups finely grated carrots
2 teaspoon Ghee
1 tablespoon Jaggery (see the note below)
1 Tablespoon Cardamom
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut Soaked nuts or dried fruit for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Saute carrots in ghee to soften.
Add jaggery and cardamom.
Cover with water to steam.
Carrots should be cooked to a roughly mashed consistency (still slightly rough).
Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, stir in coconut and allow to cool
Once you can comfortably work with the carrot mixture use your hands to roll into small balls. Garnish each with a single raisin, pistachio, cranberry or cashew.
In this months recipe, you will find the ingredient jaggery. I debated replacing it with another option that may be more familiar to readers, but being the rebel that I am I made the choice to educate those who do not know about or use jaggery as to the many medicinal properties and exactly what it is. Just try it and see the difference. Here is a little information for you...
Jaggery is made from the juice of sugarcane. It contains sugar in sucrose form and is used as a sweetening agent. It is considered healthier than refined sugar as certain plant phytochemicals and minerals are preserved in it.
Jaggery helps in treating and preventing many skin problems such as acne and pimples. It also delays the signs of aging such as wrinkles and dark spots. It can help in the maintenance and proper functioning of the digestive system as it prevents many digestive problems and improves digestion. This is because jaggery stimulates digestive enzyme secretion, as it gets converted into acetic acid. Jaggery speeds up the process of digestion, as the load on the digestive tract is significantly reduced. Jaggery also helps in regulating the bowel movement and preventing problems such as indigestion, constipation, and gas. Jaggery will purify the blood, boosting the total count of hemoglobin in the blood. It also boosts the immunity that helps in preventing a wide variety of blood disorders and diseases. It is rich in iron and folate that help in preventing anemia by ensuring that a normal level of red blood cells is maintained. Are you ready to incorporate some Jaggery into your cooking? If so I recommend ordering it from Pure Indian foods. I have brought Jaggery home from India with me but the Jaggery I find that this company has is the purest and the best. Click here for the link.