Recipe of the month: Carrot Cake Laddus

I would have loved to bring you this recipe in time for Ganesh Chaturthi but I have clearly failed in that endaevor. Never mind! I am posting this recipe well in advance for Diwali/Deepavali with the hope that it adds a touch of modern sparkle to your upcoming festive celebration 😊

I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It is such a delightful combination. Carrots are earthy and slightly sweet, while cream cheese is tangy, rich and mildly savoury. It is the contrast that makes this seemingly odd pairing work. If you are well-acquainted with my blog, you may be aware of a Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that I posted years ago (12 years to be precise). Back in SG, I used to make them all the time to take to office, potlucks or at home when having guests over for dinner. It is one of my favourite recipes on my blog. 

This year, for Ganesh Chaturthi, I was looking for a simple recipe (as usual) to kick start the festivities. I had already decided that I was going to make chocolate modaks for the kids. I needed another sweet recipe but with a hundred other things demanding my attention, I wasn't prepared to spend too much time in the kitchen. It was then that I remebered my carrot cake recipe. I thought it would be a great idea to give it a makeover and turn them into laddus. Although I love traditional dishes and firmly believe that classic recipes shouldn't be messed with, I can't help but play around when it comes to dessert. Turns out, my idea wasn't original. There were plenty of recipes I found online that had come up with the same concept way before me. Oh well! 😄

These laddus came together in less than 30 minutes. Oven-roasting the carrots is such a great idea because it brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots. I can assure you that it does not taste like you have added a vegetable into your dessert 😁 The use of almond flour makes this an "instant" dessert, bypassing the need for cooking and tedious stirring which is common with traditional Indian sweets. So if you are short on time, this recipe will be perfect for you. 

At the end, I had a dessert that looked Indian but tasted somewhat International 😄 Everyone who tried them gave me great feedback so I decided it was worth featuring here. I have provided ample substitutions and tips with which you can tweak it to suit your kitchen steup or your dietary preferences. 

I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't do much this year for Ganesh Chaturthi. Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for it this Diwali 💫

Until next time folks....

Carrot Cake Laddus

Preparation time: ~30 min

Makes: 12-14 medium-large or 16-18 small laddus

Recipe category: Dessert/Fusion

Recipe level: Easy

Recipe source: Adapted from Vegan Richa

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped regular carrots

3/4 cup walnuts or you could do 50-50 proportion of walnuts and pistachios

15 soft regular-sized dates, pitted

1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon powder (adjust according to preference)

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp raisins or sultanas

1 tbsp cream cheese, Optional but recommended

1/4 cup almond flour, heaped, add more if required

2-3 tbsp maple syrup (or you could substitute with honey)

2 tbsp desiccated coconut mixed with 1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting the laddus

3 tbsp ghee, divided

Method:

1. Wash the carrots thoroughly and dry them. There is no need to peel the carrots. Roughly chop the carrots into large evenly sized chunks. Toss the carrots in 1 tbsp ghee uniformly. Place on a baking dish and bake for 200 C (400 deg F) for 20 to 25 mins or longer until soft and caramelised. Poke the carrots with a skewer or knife to check if they are cooked through. Once done, keep aside to cool. 

Alternatively, grate the carrots using a grater or food processor. Then add to a skillet with a teaspoon of ghee or butter, cook over medium for 3 minutes. Add 2 tsp maple syrup and a splash of water, cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

2. Dry roast the walnuts in a pan on medium-low heat until fragrant (take care not to burn them). Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Add walnuts to a food processor and pulse to chop into an even crumbly mixture. 

3. Add the roasted carrots, dates, vanilla, spices, raisins, cream cheese and 2 tbsp ghee and process until the mixture is well combined and doughy. Add the almond flour and pulse again to combine.

Note: If you have a small-sized food processor or chopper, put the walnuts, carrots and dates in one by one and once done, then mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. If you do not have a food processor, you could pound the walnuts using a mortar and pestle or finely chop the walnuts and dates and then grate the oven roasted carrots before mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl. 

4. If the mixture is too sticky, add a few tbsp more almond flour and pulse. Add the maple syrup or honey 1 tbsp at a time to the mixture, mix thoroughly and taste. Add more if required, adjusting the sweetness according to your liking. 

5. Shape into balls and roll in a mixture of shredded coconut and powdered sugar. 

6. Store refrigerated for upto a 5 days or freeze.

Notes:

• Use fresh carrots that are tender and sweet in this recipe for the best outcome
• Almond four in India is available on Urban Platter and Amazon
• If you are not using cream cheese in this recipe, add 1/4 tsp salt to the laddu mixture before shaping into balls
• You can add dried cranberries to the laddu mixture if you like
• You can make this recipe vegan by spraying the carrots with a neutral tasting cooking spray oil before oven-roasting, completely omitting the ghee and cream cheese as well as by using maple syrup for sweetness in the recipe. 

Cheers,

Megha