carrot halwa recipe with step by step photos and video. this carrot halwa recipe shares the traditional way of making delicious gajar ka halwa without any shortcuts or tweaks. by the way, at home in punjabi language we call carrot halwa as gajrela.
during winters, we make gajar halwa often. it is a popular sweet made in north india during winters.
this traditional carrot halwa recipe uses just full-fat milk, ghee and sugar to make the halwa. you don’t need khoya (evaporated milk solids) or condensed milk.
we generally use red delhi carrots to make the halwa as they are tender and juicy. on occasions, i have also made carrot halwa with orange carrots. you can use any carrots – red, orange or black. but just make sure they are not fibrous and dense.
tips for making best carrot halwa
- to make gajar halwa, it is important to buy tender and juicy carrots so that they are easy to grate. some arm work is needed to make this halwa as you have to first grate the carrots and then slow cook them in stove top and keep on stirring them on regular intervals.
- you can grate the carrots manually or in a food processor. obviously, the food processor makes grating the carrots easier.
- i suggest using a heavy iron kadai to make the halwa. the carrot halwa is simmered and simmered and stirred often. so that it should not get burnt, a really good kadai makes the job easier. you can also use a non-stick kadai or a thick bottomed pan.
preparation for carrot halwa
1. first rinse, peel 650 grams carrots (8 to 9 medium-sized tender juicy carrots or 6 to 7 long carrots).
2. then grate the carrots either with a hand-held grater or in a food processor. you will need about 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots.
cooking carrots for carrot halwa
3. in a heavy kadai, add all of the grated carrots.
4. pour 4 cups full-fat milk. switch on the burner.
5. mix the grated carrots and milk together.
6. cook this mixture on a low to medium flame. after some minutes, the milk will begin to froth first and then start reducing slowly and slowly.
7. keep on stirring this halwa mixture often. keep scraping the sides of the kadai to remove the evaporated milk solids. add the milk solids to the cooking mixture. simmer carrots in milk and stir also at intervals, so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
8. cook the carrot+milk mixture till milk is reduced by 75%.
making carrot halwa
9. then add 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter). do note that some milk will be there when you add the ghee.
10. mix very well.
11. next add 10 to 12 tablespoons sugar or as required.
12. add cardamom powder – 5 to 6 green cardamom or choti elachi, powdered finely in a mortar-pestle or about ⅓ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.
13. mix very well.
14. continue to simmer on a low flame. do stir often.
15. simmer till the carrot halwa mixture starts to thicken and reduces more. stir at intervals.
16. when the carrot halwa has reduced much and you see a little milk – like that of a pudding consistency. then add nuts and dry fruits. you can add your choice of nuts and dry fruits. i have added 12 cashews, 12 almonds and 2 tablespoons golden raisins. chop the nuts before you add. raisins can be kept whole. if using saffron, then you can add at this step.
17. mix again and continue to stir and simmer.
18. simmer till the whole halwa mixture becomes dry. the milk should evaporate completely and you will see fine milk solids in the carrot halwa.you will also see some ghee being released from the sides. remember to scrape the milk solids stuck at the sides of the kadai or pan and add them to the gajar halwa. some moisture is also fine in the halwa.
serve gajar ka halwa hot or warm. refrigerate the leftovers and while serving you can warm carrot halwa. garnish with some chopped dry fruits while serving.
storing & serving carrot halwa
1. you can store gajar halwa in the fridge. it stays well for almost a week but will get over quickly. when serving, you can just warm the halwa and then serve.
2. in the cold winters of north india, carrot halwa is served hot or warm.
3. you can even have the gajar halwa chilled if you prefer. some people like to have it cold or at room temperature and some people like to have carrot halwa hot or warm. it is just a personal preference. in some restaurants, they serve a combination of carrot halwa with vanilla ice cream and believe me this combo tastes good.
for more halwa recipes you may like
carrot halwa
INGREDIENTS FOR carrot halwa
- 8 to 9 medium tender juicy carrots or 650 grams (gajar) - yields approx 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots
- 4 cups full fat organic milk
- 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 10 to 12 tablespoons regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar OR 180 to 190 grams sugar - add as required
- 5 to 6 green cardamom (choti elaichi) - powdered finely in a mortar-pestle or about ⅓ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 10 to 12 whole cashews (kaju) - chopped
- 10 to 12 almonds - sliced or chopped
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins (kishmish)
- 1 pinch saffron strands (kesar) - optional
HOW TO MAKE carrot halwa
preparation for carrot halwa
- first rinse, peel and then grate the carrots (8-9 medium sized tender juicy carrots), either with a hand held grater or in a food processor.
- you need approx 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots.
making carrot halwa
- in a kadai or deep thick bottomed pan combine milk and grated carrots.
- on a low to medium flame, bring the whole mixture to a boil and then simmer.
- while the mixture is simmering on a low flame, keep on stirring in between.
- the grated carrots will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate.
- when the milk has 75% reduced, add the ghee, sugar and powdered cardamom to the mixture.
- stir well and continue to simmer and cook on a low flame.
- do keep on stirring the gajar halwa in between.
- towards the end, add the cashews, almonds, saffron and raisins. simmer carrot halwa till all the milk is evaporated. switch off the burner.
- serve gajar halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold. garnish with some chopped dry fruits while serving.
RECIPE VIDEO
NOTES
- use fresh, juicy and tender carrots.
- the recipe can be halved or doubled.
- carrot halwa stays good in the fridge for almost about a week.
- use full-fat milk or whole milk.
- add nuts and dry fruits of your choice.
Thank you for this excellent recipe; I just cooked it and it came out really well.
This is a great recipe. Any ideas on how to convert it to vegan please?
thanks. i have earlier shared a vegan carrot halwa recipe made with almond milk. recipe link is here – vegan carrot halwa
Yummy!. Very tasty recipe. Thanks.
welcome.
Hi Dassana,
Tried the gajar ka halwa recipe. It was awwwweeeessssoooommmmeee. My kids loved it. Thnx a ton for sharing such a tasty recipe. God Bless you.
thanks louiza for the feedback on carrot halwa and also for your kind wishes.
Woww i just made it.. Its awesome.. Thank you for giving such tasty recipe.. ❣️ 😘
thanks priti. welcome.
Thank you Dassana. This is an extremely simple recipe for making an excellent market style gaajar ka Halwa.
Also, I always refer to your website veg recipes of India whenever trying anything first time.
thanks neha for the review and feedback. glad to know and happy cooking.
lovely post on gajar ka halwa
thanks ekta.
I loved the recipe… Would like to know how many days we can refrigerate this?
thanks. stays good for about a week to 10 days.
Can we add ghee at the end and cook it in ghee for few min?
yes you can do this way.
I tried your recipe yesterday and it turned out so yummy and delicious…thank you so much
Welcome Mamta. Thanks for your positive comment on carrot halwa recipe.
I tried this today and it turned out yummy !! As I don’t cook a lot, my husband doesn’t expect much from me. But I’m sure today he’ll be very much impressed 😊
Thanks Aishwarya. I hope your husband also likes it. Its a fool proof and tasty carrot halwa recipe. So don’t worry.
This came out really well. Very authentic and tasty recipe.
Thanks Sharika
Planning to try this recipe this weekend. Any reason why the cashew n raisins are not roasted in ghee before adding to the halwa?TIA.
Ashwini, In North Indian halwa recipes, generally the dry fruits are not fried or roasted in ghee in beginning. They are added once the halwa is almost ready and then just cooked for 1-2 minutes.
I’m making the halwa now after trying it in a restaurant and I was wondering, when I grind the cardamom up, do I use only the seeds or the whole pod?
breanna, discard the husks and just use the seeds while grinding. i first add the whole green cardamom pods in the mortar. then crush them lightly. this loosens the outer husk. i remove the husk and either use them in tea or discard them. then powder the cardamom seeds.
I tried the gajar ka halwa recipe today – halved it as I had only half the required quantity of carrots. It tasted delicious and was much appreciated by all. Many thanks for your recipe, Dassana ! You are the best !
Welcome Jennifer. Glad to know this. Thanks for your kind words and positive feedback on gajar halwa recipe.
Hi dassana.. Am making this halwa for second time today the first time I tried ur halwa was amazing and yummy all my husband’s friend loved it and this time they want it again from my hands ..am making for second time in my life today… All credit goes to u 🙂 thank for ur delicious mouth watering recipes..
Welcome Fazila. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing this awesome feedback on gajar halwa. You are kind with your words. Thanks for that.
Hello Dassana,
Firstly, thank you so much for your recipes. As someone who didn’t grow up cooking and is in a completely different continent from his family, your website has helped immensely. I get to taste the tastes of home without asking my mom for recipes every week.
Pertaining to this particular recipe, I followed it exactly and it came out excellent. Comparing my progress to your pictures, I noticed a lot less of the milk solids in my preparation. The only milk available to me was regular processed milk, which has had a lot of fat removed. If I were to use Half and Half, would I get a higher yield of the milk solids? If so, how much should I be using, the same 4 cups or more?
Thanks,
Sam.
Welcome Sam. Nice to know that recipes are helping you. You can use the same amount of half and half.
Just tried your recipe and it comes out amazing 😉 really tasty 😋 thank you
Welcome Ludmila
Can one use melted butter instead of ghee? I suppose not, but I hate to buy a jar and have so much left over. Thank you.
Karen
with melted butter the taste will change completely. what i would suggest is to reduce the proportion of butter.
It was my first try and i must say ot turned out awesome.. everyone in my family loved it.. thnx
Welcome Mussarat. Glad to know this.
Hi
First attempt to make gajar halwa
And from reading your menu how to make … it went all dark the carrots
So I washed it out and started again
Took another 2 hrs well worth the wait my husband loves it Looks yummy thanks
Jacqueline
Welcome Jacqueline. Glad to know this.
I love gajar ka halwa , and this recipe turned out great …following all your recipes…and becoming chef ..thank you so much for sharing…😊😊😊
thanks a lot chandni. glad to know. happy cooking 🙂
I see you have different methods of making gajar halwa – which method is the most traditional? Which method do you prefer the most?
Jenny, the traditional method is the slow cooked method that is shared on this post and one that tastes best.
Hi, i used this recipe and my halwa became blackish. The aroma was great but it was so unappetising. What could be the problem?
Deepti, I have no idea why halwa became black in color. May be the milk must have got burnt.
tried it for the first time and its soo yummieeee. thanks alot for the recipe<3
welcome amulyasai
looks yummy will try soon
Hi
Can you please advice how to lessen out the sweetness in case the sugar is high…
Chinky, if you have added more sugar then nothing can be done.
Followed your recipe and it turned out amazing… Everybody loved it in the family.. My daughter was licking her fingers and the bowl 🙂 thank you.
Welcome Chaitali. Thanks for sharing this positive feedback on gajar halwa recipe.
Are the measurements given for serving 4 people or only 2 people?
this recipes serves 6.