Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa

If there is one classic Indian dessert which is synonymous with the winters and weddings especially in North India, it has to be ‘Gajar ka halwa’ or the ‘Carrot halwa’. The satisfaction and pleasure of having a piping hot halwa on a chilly winter day is something beyond explanation in simple words. I have a sweet tooth, and this dessert tops my list of favourite Indian desserts.

Every winter, I desperately wait for the ‘Red carrots’ and needless to say, when I can make this delectable dessert. The red carrots are juicy and have a wonderful earthy flavour and are extremely sweet, which makes it perfect for this halwa.

I had spent most of my childhood in Rajasthan, and the red carrots are very easily available in the North India during winters. However being in Bangalore now, my wait for red carrots get bit impatient at times, as it is not as readily available in the south as compared to North India. Nevertheless, it is always worth the wait!

Now talking about this dessert, it is a fairly simple recipe with just 5 to 6 ingredients, but the actual task here is the cooking time and yes, you need some patience to enjoy this beautiful dessert. Though there are numerous recipes which talk about cheats and hacks to make this quickly, but I always feel that the traditional cooking method yields the best result and taste.

Tips for making perfect Carrot Halwa

The first and foremost tip is the variety of carrots that is used for making halwa. The halwa tastes best when made using the red variety of carrots which is usually available during the winters in India.

Always grate the carrots in the largest setting of the grater, as this gives a nice texture to the halwa and does not turn mushy. This is quite an important tip for this recipe.

The carrots are to be roasted in ghee as it removes the raw flavour of the carrots and also gives them a beautiful colour and flavour.

This recipe demands use of full fat milk as it gives the richness to the halwa. The carrots are to be cooked in the full fat milk till it completely evaporates. I highly recommend that you use the full fat milk for this recipe and even cut down slightly on the intake if you are health conscious, after all some indulgence once in a while never hurts 🙂 (Sorry, I never compromise on the taste!)

Lastly, use a generous amount of ghee to finish the dish as no halwa is complete without our desi ghee.

Serving Suggestion

Gajar ka halwa is best enjoyed in it’s own, either served hot or cold. It also tastes great when served hot, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Carrot Halwa

Kannan

Gajar ka halwa or Carrot halwa is a delectable Indian sweet made using red carrots, milk and ghee as main ingredients

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 5 persons

Ingredients

  

• 750 grams Red Carrots
• 500 ml Full Cream Milk
• 5 tbsp Ghee
• 0.75 cup Sugar
• 0.5 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 6 nos Cashewnut
• 6 nos Almond
• 6 nos Pistachio

Instructions

 

• Wash, peel and grate the carrots in the largest setting of the grater
  
• Chop the almonds lengthwise and break the cashewnuts into two. In a heavy bottom kadai or pan, add 3 tablespoons ghee and fry the almonds and cashwenuts on a low flame till they turn slightly pink. Remove the nuts from the kadai
  
• To the leftover ghee in the kadai, add the grated carrots. Mix them occasionally and let it cook for 5 minutes. This will remove the raw flavour of the carrots and enhance the colour and flavour
  
• Next, add the milk to the kadai. The carrots must just get submerged in milk. Cook on medium to high flame till the milk comes to boil.
  
• Continue cooking on medium to high flame while stirring and scraping the milk solids in between till the milk is almost fully evaporated. This step should take around 25 to 30 minutes
  
• Now add the sugar and 2 tablespoons ghee and mix well. The halwa will liquify and the colour will be enhanced too. Continue cooking on medium flame while stirring in between, till the moisture is fully absorbed
  
• Finally add cardamom powder and the dry fruits (fried cashewnuts and almonds and chopped roasted pistachio nuts) and mix well. Serve hot or cold
  

Notes

• Use the red carrots for the best results, which are generally available during winters. However if you cannot find them, you could also use the other varieties of carrot. You might have to slightly increase the proportion of sugar, if the carrots are not that sweet.
• Use a heavy bottom pan or kadai, as it would avoid the milk getting burnt when i sticks to the edges of the pan. It would also help in retaining uniform heat for cooking.
• Don’t grate the carrots too fine, as this would yield a mushy halwa which would lack texture. 
• It is important to cook the carrots in ghee before adding the milk, as it enhances the flavour of carrot and removes the raw smell.

Keyword Carrot, Gajar, Indian, sweets