Gajar ka Halwa

5 from 8 votes

Introducing the ultimate winter delicacy ~ Gajar ka halwa! This traditional Indian sweet made with farm-fresh carrots, sugar, and dry nuts offers a rich, incredibly creamy, and melt-in-you-taste that is loved by kids and adults alike!

Prep: 30

Cook: 40

Total: 1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 873kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

TOAST NUTS

4 tablespoons Chopped nuts (Almonds, Cashews, and Raisins)
1 tablespoon Ghee

FOR CARROTS

¼ cup Ghee
1 kg Carrots
¾ cup Cream
1 cup + 2 extra tablespoons of Sugar
1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
1 cup Milk Powder
2 tablespoons Ghee

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

PREPARE CARROTS

Trim the top part of the carrots.
Rinse carrots thoroughly under tap, gently rub the carrots' surface with your hands to get rid of all the impurities and dirt. After rinsing, use a kitchen towel and pat them dry.
Peel the carrots. Rinse them again.
Now, use a hand grater or food processor to grate the carrots.

TOAST THE DRY NUTS

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add almonds, cashews, and raisins to it. Fry the nuts until they are golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

COOK CARROTS

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat ghee, add the grated carrots to the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Sauté the carrots for a minute.
Now, add cream to the pan. Mix until everything is well blended. Lower the heat to the medium setting and cook the carrots.
The key to a successful gajar ka halwa is constant stirring. After the cream is added to the carrots, do not leave the halwa unattended. Keep stirring halwa over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the carrots, when pressed in between fingers, become mushy. This process will take appx. 10-12 minutes.
Once carrots are soft, add sugar and cardamom powder to the carrots.
Mix until everything is well blended.
After the sugar is added, the halwa will become moist again. Continue to cook the halwa over medium flame until all the moisture has evaporated and ghee starts to ooze out from around the corners.
This process will take somewhere between 10-15 minutes.
Once all the liquid has evaporated, stir in milk powder. Mix until well blended. Keep stirring to avoid lump formation.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee to the halwa and cook it for another 1-2 minutes.
Take it off the flame, garnish with roasted dry nuts and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Recipe tips for best Gajar ka Halwa

» Always select fresh, tender carrots for halwa.

» This gajar halwa doesn't take that long to cook; therefore, grate the carrots to medium thickness because if grated too thin, halwa will become mushy.

» You can use a food processor attachment or a hand grater to grate the carrots. If using a hand grater, use the thicker side of the grater to grate the carrots.

» I prefer to cook my carrots in ghee for a minute before adding cream to them. Ghee provides the sweetest and nuttiest taste to Gajar ka halwa.

» After the cream is added, keep stirring Gajar halwa at regular intervals to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

» If you do not want to add milk powder to Gajrela, then double the quantity of cream in the recipe and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

» You can add fresh malai to the cooking halwa for a much richer taste.

Nutrition