Gajar Ka Halwa - A Comforting Winter Treat
Gajar ka Halwa, also known as carrot halwa is melt-in-the-mouth Indian dessert that will not fail to impress anyone. If you are planning to make this dessert in Halwai style for your loved ones, then you must try this Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe.
Happy New Year friends!
I hope that 2021 brings in lots of happiness and joy in our lives. And so, to welcome 2021, I am sharing with you my Family’s heirloom Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe.
HALWA…. Just talk about halwa and the only name that comes to everyone’s mind is – Gajar Ka Halwa. It’s a winter delicacy that finds prominence in all kinds of occasions, marriages and festivals.
This Rich dessert is made with juicy red carrots, khoya, milk, ghee and lots of dry fruits and nuts. And if you are also planning to make this delicacy for your loved ones in this season, then you must try this my version of Gajar ka halwa recipe that explains in easy steps with video tutorial.
Gajar ka halwa has so many versions depending on the region. Some recipes cook the carrots for long using milk, while some cook to tender. Some are using Khoya or sweet condensed milk or even milk powder.
My version of Gajar ka halwa recipe is my Family’s heirloom recipe from my grandmother and is one of the best I have had. She was a great cook actually and whoever has tasted her Gajar Ka Halwa to date swear by it.
This is how my grandmother used to make it, this is how my mother makes her gajar ka halwa and now this is exact same recipe I make gajar ka halwa. So, it is kind of Authentic recipe of Gajar ka halwa.
Ingredients:
- Carrots: For the perfect gajar ka halwa, use red carrots that are fresh, juicy and tender.
- Khoya: It increases the flavour of this amazing dessert Gajar ka halwa. It also increases the self-life of this dessert. If you can’t find it you can substitute khoya with sweet condensed milk or milk powder.
- Milk: It gives the rich taste and perfect texture to this halwa. Always use full fat/full cream milk.
- Ghee: NEVER skip ghee in gajar ka halwa recipe. You may use a small quantity even but don’t skip because it gives a nice aroma and a great shiny texture.
- Sugar: To sweeten the gajar ka halwa I have added sugar. If you do not want to use sugar for any reason you can use any artificial sweeteners (sugar-free) or what you regularly use.
- Cardamoms: It gives an aromatic flavour to carrot halwa. I have added a whole one and also cardamom powder.
- Dry fruits: I used Pistachio flakes and Almond flakes to garnish the dish.
How to Make Gajar Ka Halwa:
Wash, Peel and grate red carrots and Keep them aside. I used a simple steel grater; you can use a food processor for grating the carrots.
In a big microwave safe bowl add this grated carrots and microwave it for 5 minutes. This process retains their nutritional content, along with their colour, flavour and texture and decrease the cooking time of carrots in pan.
(If you don’t have microwave you can just steam them in a steamer basket)
In a large pan melt ghee and add a whole cardamom this step gives an extra flavour to the halwa.
Next add sugar and little water and dissolve the sugar and make thick syrup.
Add microwaved carrots in it and now reduce the heat to low and allow the carrots to cook.
Next add ½ cup milk to give richness to the halwa and again cook it for few more minutes to evaporate the liquid.
You have to stir it on regular intervals so it does not burn and stick to the bottom.
At this stage add grated khoya and cook some more for 5-6 minutes till it is well incorporated into mix.
Add cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits of your choice and roast the halwa on medium heat for 2 minutes. Keep stirring it all the while.
Serve this carrot halwa hot and Enjoy!
If you want to serve it in square pieces then pour this halwa in a greased plate and keep aside for 30 minutes in room temperature or 10 minutes in refrigerator.
Cut into square pieces and serve.
Video: How to make Perfect Gajar Ka Halwa
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How to serve Gajar ka Halwa:
Gajar Ka Halwa can be served in two ways: In pieces or loose as a pudding you scoop up with a spoon and nothing more. There’s a time and a place for both. Pieces of Gajar ka halwa are perfect for serving to friends and family during any celebration or even in marriage functions. The loose kind is more of a hot dessert served after a meal in most of the families or even in marriages.
Try this Gajar ka Halwa Recipe for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, and impress your near and dear ones!
Although there’s no special occasion required to relish and delve into the flavours of this Gajar ka halwa, however, if you are planning to host some house party, kitty party, birthday or anniversary party, you can serve it as a perfect dessert and this will surely win you compliments.
What’s more, if you are planning some more sweet delicacies for the celebration then I have curated some amazing options for you:
How to make it Gajar Halwa in the microwave?
To make carrot halwa in a microwave, add grated carrot in a big microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes.
Add Sugar in it and again microwave it for 10 minutes. After that add ½ cup milk and microwave for another 10 minutes.
Add Khoya, ghee and cardamom powder and microwave for another 5 minutes.
Check if the ghee has separated on the sides.
Otherwise microwave for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with dry fruits and serve hot.
How to make Gajar Halwa with condensed milk (Milkmaid)?
To make Gajar ka halwa using condensed milk, just replace it with half of the khoya and use ½ cup condensed milk instead.
You can add 1 cup milk and skip adding the khoya completely if you don’t have Khoya.
You can reduce the sugar amount also as condensed milk is slightly sweet.
Can I make it with jaggery?
Off course. You can make it. Just replace the sugar in the recipe with powdered jaggery. It will be healthy than the classic version and will be different in taste too.
If you are planning to make this dessert for your loved ones, then you must try this Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe.
Tips:
- Use red carrots to make this halwa. These carrots are available only in winters and the real taste of this halwa shines through when you use red carrots to make it.
- Grate the carrots to medium thickness. If you grate them too thin, the halwa will become mushy and if too thick, the pieces will stand out.
I used my simple hand grater to grate the carrots but you can use a food processor too.
- You can make this gajar halwa without khoya also. Increase the amount of milk and replace khoya with milk powder. Follow the remaining process exactly. However, the reality of taste comes when khoya is added to it.
- Adjust the sugar quantity as per your taste.
- You can easily double or triple the quantity of the ingredients and make a bigger batch if you want to.
- Along with the ingredients, the cooking time will also increase, so keep that in mind.
- You can freeze the halwa for 1-2 months. Just transfer it in a freezer-safe box and freeze. Thaw before using and warm in a microwave.
Gajar Ka Halwa
Gajar ka Halwa is melt-in-the-mouth Indian dessert that will not fail to impress anyone. If you are planning to make this dessert in Halwai style for your loved ones, then you must try this Gajar Ka Halwa recipe.
[cooked-sharing]
Wash the carrots and peel them.
Grate them to medium thickness either with a hand grater or in a food processor.
Add the grated carrots in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes.
(If you don’t have microwave you can just steam them in a steamer basket for 5 minutes)
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai, add a whole cardamom in it.
(This step gives an extra flavour to the Gajar Ka Halwa)
Add white granulated sugar along with very little water and Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until a thick syrup form.
Add the microwaved carrots and saute on medium flame till the carrots are tender and cooked, and any extra moisture has dried out. This may take around 8-10 minutes.
Now add milk and Once you add milk, the halwa again loosens up and becomes watery.
At this stage turn the heat to medium high and allow the milk and carrot mixture to come to a boil.
Once the milk and carrot mixture come to a boil, turn the heat to medium low and cook the Gajar ka halwa until entire liquid is evaporated.
Make sure you keep stirring the gajar ka halwa in between.
Stirring also prevents the halwa from sticking to the bottom of the kadai/pan.
Once the gajar ka halwa has thickened to a good consistency, add grated khoya, mix well and cook some more for 5-6 minutes till it is well incorporated and ghee starts to leave on the sides.
Keep stirring in between.
Add cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits and mix and keep stirring the halwa for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the heat and the Gajar ka halwa is ready.
Garnish with some grated khoya, Almond and pistachio flakes and serve.
If you want to serve this Gajar ka halwa in square pieces then pour this halwa in a greased plate, garnish with some almond and pistachio flakes and allow to set this for 30 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in a refrigerator.
Once set cut into square pieces and serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the carrots and peel them.
Grate them to medium thickness either with a hand grater or in a food processor.
Add the grated carrots in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes.
(If you don’t have microwave you can just steam them in a steamer basket for 5 minutes)
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai, add a whole cardamom in it.
(This step gives an extra flavour to the Gajar Ka Halwa)
Add white granulated sugar along with very little water and Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until a thick syrup form.
Add the microwaved carrots and saute on medium flame till the carrots are tender and cooked, and any extra moisture has dried out. This may take around 8-10 minutes.
Now add milk and Once you add milk, the halwa again loosens up and becomes watery.
At this stage turn the heat to medium high and allow the milk and carrot mixture to come to a boil.
Once the milk and carrot mixture come to a boil, turn the heat to medium low and cook the Gajar ka halwa until entire liquid is evaporated.
Make sure you keep stirring the gajar ka halwa in between.
Stirring also prevents the halwa from sticking to the bottom of the kadai/pan.
Once the gajar ka halwa has thickened to a good consistency, add grated khoya, mix well and cook some more for 5-6 minutes till it is well incorporated and ghee starts to leave on the sides.
Keep stirring in between.
Add cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits and mix and keep stirring the halwa for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the heat and the Gajar ka halwa is ready.
Garnish with some grated khoya, Almond and pistachio flakes and serve.
If you want to serve this Gajar ka halwa in square pieces then pour this halwa in a greased plate, garnish with some almond and pistachio flakes and allow to set this for 30 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in a refrigerator.
Once set cut into square pieces and serve.
One Comment
Preeti Lal
Posted on: January 8, 2021Thank you Mona.
Can’t wait to see your creations and your valuable reviews.