How to Make the Best Gajar Ka Halwa

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first

– Ernestine Ulmer

Winters in North India are reminiscent of many delicacies; roasted peanuts, jaggery relish, and delicious desserts to name a few. These delicious desserts are usually prepared using seasonal fruits and vegetables utilizing their abundance and freshness. These mouthwatering desserts are intricate, slow-cooked, and carry the legacy of traditional Indian food. One of these traditional recipes is Gajar ka halwa, which can be roughly translated as a slow-cooked carrot pudding, made from fresh red carrots, milk, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter). Each region in India has its own version of this recipe, in some places of south India, this recipe is adapted as Gajar Pak or a more solidified version of the halwa. In some regions, red carrots are replaced with black carrots to make them more exotic. While many people get intimidated because of the long prep time and slow-cooking method, here is a no-fail recipe to answer the age-old question-How to make the best Gajar Ka halwa?

One thing to note is since this recipe is cumbersome, it is better to make it in a batch. Once you master the recipe, you are sure to impress your better half, friends, and relatives. So, without any further ado, let us dive right into it.

Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Cook time: 2-3 hours
Serves: 10-12 people

Ingredient for Gajar Ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

2 Kg Fresh Red Carrots

2 Kg Full cream/whole milk

1 -1/2 bowl sugar (use the same bowl that you will use to serve the final dish)

1 bowl Pure Ghee (clarified butter)

For Garnishing

50 gms Almonds

50 gms yellow raisings

Method

Step 1

Wash the carrots with cold water and peel them.

Step 2

Grate the washed and cleaned carrots using a box grater/cheese grater or food processor.

Step 3

In a heavy bottom wok or kadhai add your grated carrots with milk and set it on high heat. Make sure
you use a big enough kadhai so that your milk does not spill when boiled.

Step 4

Once the milk starts to boil, lower the flame, and let it reduce for 2-3 hours straight. Keep stirring every now and then to stop the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the wok.

Step 5

Once the milk is reduced to almost half, add nuts to the mixture.

Step 6

When the milk and the carrots look homogeneous, add sugar to the mixture and incorporate it by mixing well.

Step 7

You will see the mixture will become a little shiny and a liquid will ooze out of the mixture. Cook for another 10 mins until this liquid dries again.

Step 8

Add Ghee (clarified butter) to the halwa and cook it for another 10 mins.

Step 9

Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, if needed.

Step 10

Switch off the gas and let it cool.

Step 11

Serve warm and enjoy after a hearty meal.

Gajar ka halwa is not just any dessert, it is deeply embedded in our memories as a treat from our childhood, the joy of a feast, and the love of our moms. Trust us this recipe is sure to bring back all those memories and fill your winter evenings with a sweet treat and even sweeter smiles.

Please let us know if you like the recipe and if you want to support our content