Gajar Ka Halwa (Traditional Carrot Halwa Recipe)

overhead shot of gajar halwa or carrot halwa filled in a bronze bowl placed on a bronze plate

4.82 from 159 votes

Gajar Ka Halwa (Traditional Carrot Halwa Recipe)

Gajar Ka Halwa is a classic North Indian sweet made by slow-cooking grated carrots in milk, ghee, and sugar, flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts. My family recipe follows the traditional method and is slow-cooked for rich flavor. This card features the classic version, with three more methods – milkmaid, khoya, and Instant Pot shared in the post.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Desserts, Sweets

Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 328kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

8 to 9 carrots medium, juicy, tender - 650 grams or about 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots
4 cups whole milk or full fat organic milk
4 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
10 to 12 tablespoons sugar or raw sugar - 180 to 190 grams - add as required
½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or 5 to 6 green cardamoms powdered finely in a mortar-pestle
10 to 12 cashews - chopped
10 to 12 almonds - sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 pinch saffron strands - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

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 halwa in between.
Towards the end, add the cashews, almonds, saffron and raisins. Simmer the 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.

Video

Notes

Use fresh, juicy and tender carrots for the best texture and taste.
The recipe can be halved or doubled or tripled according to your needs. Note that if you increase the proportions, it will need a lot of simmering and take more time to cook
The halwa stays good in the fridge for almost about 10 to 12 days.
Use full-fat milk or whole milk for the best texture and taste.
Do not leave the halwa mixture unattended while its simmering and cooking as the ingredients can burn or brown at the bottom of the pan. The carrot halwa mixture has to be stirred often.
Add nuts and dry fruits of your choice.
This card shows the traditional method. You’ll also find step-by-step instructions for milkmaid, khoya, and Instant Pot versions in the post.

Nutrition