A quite essential and immensely popular Indian dessert, Gajar Ka Halwa is rich, creamy, and decadent. It is made with carrots, ghee, milk, sugar, and nuts and flavored with cardamom.
Gajar Halwa is also known as Carrot Halwa or Gajrela and is a winter special recipe that is part of most celebrations in India be it weddings, parties, or festivals like Diwali.
Do try this recipe when you have time because this delicacy requires time, patience, and a whole lot of stirring! But believe me, it is worth every minute. You will be left with a decadent and nutty dessert that will impress everyone.
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After 11+ years of living in the US, I finally found red carrots in my Indian grocery stores. I almost can’t believe it.
When I saw the red carrots in the grocery store, I got so happy and immediately thought of making gajar halwa.
Because gajar ka halwa made with red carrots is just outstanding.
The red carrots are so much sweeter, Juicy, have a flavor of their own and that’s what makes them perfect for the halwa.
What Is Gajar Halwa?
Carrots are called gajar in Hindi, and Halwa refers to Indian pudding, so Gajar halwa translates to “Carrot Pudding”.
Also known as Gajrela in Punjabi, this sweet dish is commonly made in North Indian homes during winters when red carrots are in season.
Winters in India are incomplete without Gajar Halwa!
Be it, kids or adults, this rich, warm, and sweet melt-in-mouth carrot halwa is everyone’s favorite.
It is made using freshly grated carrots, milk, sugar, and ghee, flavored with cardamom powder (sometimes saffron), and garnished with nuts.
Traditionally gajar ka halwa is made by simmering shredded red carrots with milk and slow cooking for hours until the carrots are cooked and the milk is reduced and then sweetened with sugar.
The slow cooking process gives amazing results.
With all the gadgets and shortcuts available now, there are also quicker ways to make this halwa. But I prefer the slow cooking method.
When it comes to traditional Indian sweet/mithai, I don’t prefer shortcuts.
My method of Gajar ka Halwa uses a very simple recipe using just carrots, sugar, milk, ghee, cardamom powder, and nuts. I don’t use anything fancy like khoya, milk powder, or condensed milk.
I love making Carrot halwa. One of the reasons is that it has a pretty long shelf life. I can make a batch that’ll last for 2 weeks in the fridge, meaning we always have something sweet to snack on after dinner.
Ingredients required
- Carrots: A good and authentic gajar halwa needs red carrots. I know it’s not available in many countries but if you can, you must buy and make the gajar halwa with red carrots. If red carrots are not available, you can use fresh orange carrots too. I can find red carrots at Indian grocery stores this time. Looks for juicy, bright orange-colored (or red) carrots, with no brown spots on their skin. Medium-size carrots are ideal for this recipe since smaller ones are hard to grate and larger ones have a woody core.
- Milk: Milk gives a rich creamy texture to this halwa. I use whole milk in this carrot halwa recipe. It gives the best results.
- Ghee: We will use ghee for roasting the dry fruits and at the end to get the perfect nutty flavor in the halwa.
- Nuts: You can use any nuts of your choice to garnish. I used sliced almonds and chopped raisins. Skip the nuts altogether for a nut-free halwa.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar as a sweetener in this recipe. Red carrots have a natural sweetness, so the amount of sugar can vary to taste. I have never tried adding any other sweetener to my gajar ka halwa.
- Cardamom: Add cardamom powder for the perfect aroma and flavor. Make sure to use freshly ground powder for the best flavors.
Step by step Process
- Peel and grate the carrots using a hand grater or food processor (use the thicker side/blade). Keep it aside.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add almonds and raisins, and sauté for a few seconds. Take it out on a plate.
- Add the grated carrots to the same pan (it’s ok if there is some ghee left in the pan) and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Stirring often, sauté the carrots for around 2 minutes.
- Now add milk. Stir well.
- Let the carrot and milk cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to stir in between. And keep an eye on it. Don’t leave the carrot halwa unattended.
- After 30 minutes, you will notice milk has reduced to half or a little bit more than half. Remember to stir very often else milk and carrot might get stuck to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Continue to cook further. Keep stirring the halwa often on medium heat and cook until all the milk is absorbed by the carrots and it reduces to milk solids.
- You will see small particles of milk solids in the halwa. This will take anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the flame medium to low.
- At this point add in the sugar. Once you mix in the sugar, the sugar will melt and the halwa will become very liquid.
- Continue to cook the halwa, stirring continuously until the sugar liquid is all soaked up. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Don’t let the halwa dry out a lot since it will continue to thicken as it cools down.
- Once that’s done, then add the roasted nuts, cardamom powder, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee (or more if you want) and roast for 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously.
Gajar Ka halwa is ready. Serve warm.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Cool the carrot halwa for 15-20 minutes, and store it in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Cool it completely then transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to a month.
- To Reheat: If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Microwave individual portions for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how warm you like it.
Serving Suggestions
Gajar ka halwa is best enjoyed warm.
You can serve it with a scoop of kulfi ice cream or vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and elevate this dessert for parties and special occasions.
Notes, pro-tips, and FAQs
- Use the big holes on a box grater for grating the carrots, or shred them using a food processor with a shredder attachment. For larger quantities, a food processor is a lot easier.
- Do not grate it fine as it will result in mushy halwa. Grating thick adds to the texture making this extra effort worth it.
- Towards the end, be sure to stir every few minutes to prevent the halwa from sticking to the bottom and burning.
- You can easily scale this carrot halwa recipe for parties.
- Don’t skimp on Ghee, it adds a lot of flavors, keeps halwa moist, and brings this dish together.
- Adding sugar will stop the cooking process for carrots so add it only after the carrots are cooked.
- So stirring regularly and keeping attention on the halwa while it’s simmering is a must. Gajar ka Halwa needs pretty much constant attention and stirring and scraping of the bottom of the pot, otherwise, it can boil over or burn. So don’t leave the halwa unattended for more than 2 minutes.
- I suggest using a heavy iron skillet, heavy bottom pan, or dutch oven to make the halwa. You can also use any thick-bottomed pan or skillet.
I wouldn’t recommend it. It adds to the taste and brings out that nice bright red color.
Yes, you can. The process is not the same. I will share a detailed recipe soon.
Store carrot halwa in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can even freeze carrot halwa for about a month.
Sure! Substitute dairy milk with your favorite non-dairy milk and use vegan butter in place of ghee. The rest of the process remains the same.
Absolutely!
Gajar halwa tastes like a soft fudgy pudding.
Yes. To achieve the perfect taste and texture, I would highly recommend using whole milk
You can use butter instead of ghee. However, ghee adds a nuttier flavor to the halwa so I prefer the flavor of ghee.
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Gajar Ka Halwa
Ingredients
- 750 grams Grated carrots (4 full cups of grated carrots)
- 1 liter Whole milk
- ¾ cup Sugar (around 150 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- ¼ cup chopped almonds and chopped raisin
- 2 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrots using a hand grater or food processor (use the thicker side/blade). Keep it aside.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add almonds and raisins, and sauté for a few seconds. Take it out on a plate.
- Add the grated carrots to the same pan (it’s ok if there is some ghee left in the pan) and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Stirring often, sauté the carrots for around 2 minutes.
- Now add milk. Stir well.
- Let the carrot and milk cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to stir in between. And keep an eye on it. Don’t leave the carrot halwa unattended.
- After 30 minutes, you will notice milk has reduced to half or a little bit more than half. Remember to stir very often else milk and carrot might get stuck to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Continue to cook further. Keep stirring the halwa often on medium heat and cook until all the milk is absorbed by the carrots and it reduces to milk solids.
- You will see small particles of milk solids in the halwa. This will take anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the flame medium to low.
- At this point add in the sugar. Once you mix in the sugar, the sugar will melt and the halwa will become very liquid.
- Continue to cook the halwa, stirring continuously until the sugar liquid is all soaked up. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Don’t let the halwa dry out a lot since it will continue to thicken as it cools down.
- Once that’s done, then add the roasted nuts, cardamom powder, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee (or more if you want) and roast for 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously.
- Gajar Ka halwa is ready. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Use the big holes on a box grater for grating the carrots, or shred them using a food processor with a shredder attachment. For larger quantities, a food processor is a lot easier.
- Do not grate it fine as it will result in mushy halwa. Grating thick adds to the texture making this extra effort worth it.
- Towards the end, be sure to stir every few minutes to prevent the halwa from sticking to the bottom and burning.
- You can easily scale this carrot halwa recipe for parties.
- Don’t skimp on Ghee, it adds a lot of flavors, keeps halwa moist, and brings this dish together.
- Adding sugar will stop the cooking process for carrots so add it only after the carrots are cooked.
- So stirring regularly and keeping attention on the halwa while it’s simmering is a must. Gajar ka Halwa needs pretty much constant attention and stirring and scraping of the bottom of the pot, otherwise, it can boil over or burn. So don’t leave the halwa unattended for more than 2 minutes.
- I suggest using a heavy iron skillet, heavy bottom pan, or dutch oven to make the halwa. You can also use any thick-bottomed pan or skillet.
- This post is updated with new images and video, originally published in November 2014.
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
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