Carrot Halwa with Pineapple Compote

SERVES 6

4 tablespoons clarifi ed butter
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
7 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon saffron threads
14 oz or 1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon pistachios, halved and roasted
Edible gold leaves (optional)

Compote

1 pound pineapple, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup pineapple juice
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped

In a large sauce pan, heat the clarified butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add milk and cook. Stirring, over high heat until the milk comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan often, until all the milk is absorbed into the carrots. About 30 to 35 minutes.

Mix in the condensed milk and cardamom and cook, stirring and scraping, until the mixture is quite dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the pistachios and con-tinue cooking, stirring constantly, until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly golden. About 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the edible gold leaves. Serve hot or cold with pineapple compote.

To prepare the compote, sauté the pineapple with butter and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until soft and warm.