How To Make Gajar Ka Halwa: Recipe

The very mention of the words “gajar ka halwa” can instantly bring a smile on every person’s face who has a sweet tooth and adores Indian sweets. For those of you who don’t know, gajar ka halwa is a carrot pudding where the finely grated carrot is slowly cooked in milk with oodles of clarified butter, roasted nuts, and sugar. Be it a small gathering or an auspicious occasion, it is almost like a given tradition of most homes to make this Indian sweet.

For us, Indians, it’s nothing less than an emotion in itself. The best of friends have bonded over gajar ka halwa, the worst of sibling fights have ended on a gajar ka halwa note, and when it’s prepared by your maa, nothing beats the contentment and happiness while eating it. One simply cannot pen down those emotions in words!

The History Behind Our Beloved Gajar Ka Halwa

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If you think that this popular Indian dish was a culinary discovery by your ancestors, well, think again. The origins of this halwa trace back to the Mughal era, and the word “halwa” is known to be derived from the Arabic word that refers to anything sweet. Although there is no clear information as to which region started to cook this heavenly delicacy, the halwa definitely stands strongly associated with the Punjab region. The various types of halwa available in their cuisine is a testament to this.

The Recipe Of Gajar Ka Halwa

 Before we start coking this delectable dish, let’s enlighten you with a couple of cheat codes when it comes to handpicking the ingredients for this soul-satisfying Indian dessert.

• Pick the juiciest of the carrots available at your downtown market. If you can get your hands on some red carrots, that’s a bonus.
• You can always use full-fat milk for that rich taste and texture.
• This dish requires patience. A slow-cooked gajar ka halwa is how it should be done. But, if you’re someone who likes to get done with cooking before you get tired, then you can pressure cook the sweet dish once you’ve mixed in all the ingredients together. (God bless the inventor of the pressure cooker, right?)

Now, let’s start cooking!

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 8-9 carrots (medium-sized and juicy)
  When grated you will be left with 4 cups of grated carrot.
• 4 cups of milk (full-fat and organic milk preferred)
• 4 tablespoons of desi ghee (clarified butter)
• 10 tablespoons of regular sugar
  You could use the refined or organic versions too.
• 5-6 cardamom (choti elaichi) pods
  We need cardamom powder. Therefore, finely powder them in a mortar-pestle.
• A few saffron (kesar) strands (optional)
• 20-25 whole cashews (kaju)
• A generous amount of raisins (kishmish)

Here’s How To Get Started With Making The Halwa

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1. Take a pan with a thick bottom. Thick-bottomed pans are most suitable for slow cooking as they prevent the dish from being burnt. Add the milk and add the grated carrot mixture to it.
2. On a low-medium flame, let the mixture boil and then slowly cook away in a simmer. (Now is the time when your patience is tested.)
3. Make sure you keep stirring to avoid the mixture from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. You will notice that the carrot mixture has softened. The mixture becomes denser as the milk thickens.
5. When you feel that the consistency of the mixture has thickened by 75 percent, add the sugar, ghee, and cardamom powder. Stir well.
6. Cook till you see that the sugar has dissolved completely and the room is filled with a strong aroma.
7. The last step would be to add in the dry fruits. Chop them or add them as a whole, the choice is yours. Garnish it with some saffron.
8. Serve hot, or cool it off in a fridge and serve cold.

Variations

We bet that no two household’s gajar ka halwa tastes the same. You will have umpteen renditions of this lovable Indian dessert. And all of it is bound to please your taste buds. Many replace the sugar with jaggery to give it an earthy taste. Some don’t use milk and instead add in the khoya or mawa. Carrot is a very pleasing vegetable with no strong flavor of its own, which makes it easier to blend with other ingredients.

A halwa made of carrot and papaya is quite popular too. Do you know there is a variation called as “red velvet” gajar ka halwa too? Yes, you heard that right! This delicacy is made the same way as mentioned earlier, the only difference is that rose water is added to this. Some of the other lesser known variations include cheese gajar ka halwa and khajur (date) gajar ka halwa.

And you know the most fun part about eating this dish? You can eat it with other sweets too (we hear the tummy making some extra room for desserts). Mix it with a dollop of kulfi or ice cream and see yourself amazed.

In addition to the taste, it’s the love and effort that’s put while making this dish that has earned itself a name in the culinary world. Okay, we’ve said enough now. We can’t wait any longer, we’re going to go get ourselves some gajar ka halwa now. And while we are at it, you can let us know your version of the gajar ka halwa in the comments below.

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