Carrot Custard Tart | Gajar Ka Halwa Tart
A fusion take on the classic gajar ka halwa - a shortcrust pastry tart shell filled with a sweet carrot filling and topped with set custard, finished with a sugar brulee.
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- Hand whisk
- 7" tart ring
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Shortcrust Tart Pastry
- 130 gs unsalted butter, softened
- 100 gs caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 250 gs all-purpose flour
Sweet Carrot Filling
- 250 gs carrots, shredded
- 150 ml condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder (or any winter spice of your choice like ginger or cardamom)
- 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) can sub with butter, but I recommend using ghee
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- 100 gs egg yolks
- 80 gs caster sugar
- 500 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 20 gs granulated sugar (for brulee)
Instructions
Shortcrust Tart Pastry
- In a bowl of a stand or electric mixer, add the butter and sugar and whip it on high speed for 5-8 minutes until they are properly creamed together.
- Once that's done, add the eggs and whip on medium-high speed until there are no liquid streaks left in the batter and the eggs are properly incorporated in the batter.
- Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and gradually start adding the flour. Mix until the flour is just incorporated into the dough. Make sure not to overmix, or your dough will become too sticky. The final dough should just hold its shape together.
- Transfer the dough to the baking paper, then place another sheet of baking paper on top. Roll the dough to 2mm thickness evenly, then let it chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing the dough allows it to hold its shape when you shape it around your tart ring or pan.
- After chilling, cut and shape the dough as per your tart ring, then chill it for another 15 minutes. If you are not using a perforated tart ring, poke small holes on the base of the pastry with a fork to allow even baking. The holes also stop the pastry from rising while baking.
- Place baking paper on top of the prepared tart ring, then fill it with dry rice or baking beans. Adding weight to the pastry allows it to bake without rising.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius, then blind bake the tart for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Bigger tarts might take a longer time.
Sweet Carrot Filling
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add 2 tbsps of the ghee. Once it's hot, add the shredded carrots and fry them for 3-5 minutes until the moisture starts reducing. Make sure to squeeze the water out of the shredded carrots before frying.
- Once the carrots have dried a little, add the condensed milk. Keep stirring until it's properly incorporated, then cover and cook the carrot mixture for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until the carrots have softened and the mixture has reduced. Add the spices and cook until the carrot mixture is thick and not runny. Set aside until ready to use.
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- Place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil on low-medium heat. While the milk boils, add the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk using a hand whisk until the sugar is combined and the eggs are smooth and thick, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, add half of it to the egg and sugar mixture while continuously mixing. This process is called tempering the eggs and is done so that the eggs can get used to the heat before they are added to the boiling milk on the stove, and avoid scrambling the eggs when they come in contact with high heat.
- Transfer the milk and egg mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat while continuously mixing with a silicone spatula to avoid any scrambling. Cook the custard for 3-5 minutes until it starts thickening. Take it off the heat and strain the custard it into another bowl immediately to stop the cooking process.
Filling and Baking
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. In your prepared tart shell, add a layer of sweet carrot pudding, filling it halfway through. Make sure to press it down neatly using an offset spatula. Top the carrot filling with the custard, filling it to the brim. Don't forget to reserve some custard for serving
- Carefully place the tart in the oven's center rack. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the custard appears set but is still jiggly from the center. Be careful not to overbake the tart, or the custard will curdle and crack. I recommend keeping a constant eye on the tart as each oven works differently. Once the tart is baked, let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the custard to set.
- To finish, top the cooled tart with granulated sugar and brulee using a blow torch. If you don't have a blow torch, use the heated spoon technique - heat a metal spoon on your stove's flame for 1-2 minutes until it's red hot, then place the hot spoon on the sugar-topped custard. The hot metal will melt and brulee the sugar, giving the same effect as a blow torch. Brulee the tart just before serving to maintain the sugar crack. Serve cold with the reserved warm custard on top.
Notes
Storage:
The shortcrust pastry dough can be frozen for up to 2 months in an air-tight container.
Tips & Tricks:
- Be careful not to overmix the dough when adding the flour. The flour should be JUST combined, and the dough should just hold its shape together. Overmixing the dough will lead to sticky dough that will be hard to work with,
- To roll the dough easily, place it between two sheets of baking paper before rolling it. This ensures that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin while rolling.
- Always chill the dough after rolling it out. The pastry becomes soft very quickly; freezing the dough will help you work with it and shape it on your tart case or ring easily.
- You should also chill the dough after you shape it around your tart ring; this will help the dough hold its shape while baking.
- I would recommend using a perforated tart ring to make tarts. The holes in a perforated ring allow air to flow through the dough, which leads to more even baking.
- Keep a close eye on the tart when you are baking it with the custard as custard can curdle and split when overcooked.