Gajar Halwa Recipe / Carrot Halwa Recipe
Gajar HalwaGajar Halwa, also known as Gajrela or Carrot Halwa, is a traditional and delicious dessert hailing from the Indian subcontinent. This dish is made by slow-cooking grated carrots with milk, sugar, and a blend of spices, until it reaches a creamy, pudding-like consistency. The dish is known for its unique and complex flavor profile, with a balance of sweetness and nuttiness, and a rich and creamy texture.
Ingredients
- 2 kg Carrot
- 3 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
- ½ kg milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- dry fruits
- ¼ cup Milk Powder optional but recommended
Instructions
Preparation
- Assemble all ingredients together to avoid last minute rush.
- Peel carrots & remove heads & bottoms. Chop them into medium pieces then halves.
- Transfer into electric chopper and grate into fine pieces. Alternatively, you can also grate the carrots with the help of a Grater.
- Roughly chop your favorite dry fruits/ nuts.
Cooking
- Now, heat 2 tbsp clarified butter/ ghee in a Pressure Cooker and add the grated carrots.
- Roast for 5-6 mins over medium flame till carrots mix well with the ghee.
- Then, add ½ kg full fat milk in the carrots and mix well.
- Close the cooker with it’s lid and pressure cook over medium flame until 2-3 whistles.
- Let the pressure releases naturally and open the cooker.
- Slightly mash carrots with the help of a Potato Masher. Do not over do as carrot halwa tastes better with the bits and pieces of carrots.
- Add ½ cup sugar and mix with the halwa. Stir frequently at short intervals until all liquid absorbs.
- In the meanwhile, in an another Pan, fry chopped mix nuts in 1 tbsp ghee. Keep aside.
- Now, after the liquid absorbed, add remaining 1 tbsp ghee in the halwa and roast for about 8-10 mins. If using milk powder or khoya, add this point. You will notice the color of halwa would change to the darker side of red.
- Then, add fried nuts in halwa and sprinkle ½ tsp cardamom powder.
- Garnish with some more chopped nuts and serve hot.
- Gajar Halwa is best served hot or warm.
Equipment Used for This Recipe
Notes & Tips
- Choice of Carrots: Always use fresh carrots for best results. Carrots which are too old or too mature will not give the halwa that taste.
- Milk : Use full fat milk for that rich taste of halwa. If you are vegan, just use almond milk.
- Grating: You can grate carrots using hand chopper, electronic chopper, a grater or food processor.
- Adding ghee: This is optional but you can add 1 tbsp melted clarified butter / ghee at the end when the halwa is ready to give more aromatic flavor. This is my mom’s secret for that fragrance and aroma.
- Cooking: Do not overcook halwa, otherwise carrots and milk will get burned
- Gajar Halwa is best served warm or at room temperature.
- The halwa can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- The dish can be garnished with additional nuts, such as slivered almonds or pistachios, for added flavor and texture.
- To make the halwa more rich and creamy, khoya or mawa can be added to the recipe.
Nutrition Information (Note: Approximate)
Nutrition Facts
Gajar Halwa Recipe / Carrot Halwa Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
412
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
41
mg
14
%
Sodium
338
mg
15
%
Potassium
1518
mg
43
%
Carbohydrates
66
g
22
%
Fiber
11
g
46
%
Sugar
46
g
51
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
67046
IU
1341
%
Vitamin B1
0.3
mg
20
%
Vitamin B2
0.5
mg
29
%
Vitamin B3
4
mg
20
%
Vitamin B5
2
mg
20
%
Vitamin B6
1
mg
50
%
Vitamin B12
1
µg
17
%
Vitamin C
24
mg
29
%
Vitamin D
2
µg
13
%
Vitamin E
3
mg
20
%
Vitamin K
53
µg
50
%
Calcium
314
mg
31
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
Magnesium
66
mg
17
%
Zinc
2
mg
13
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.