Gajar Halwa Recipe

4.68 from 25 votes

Gajar Halwa, Carrot Halwa or Gajrela is a north Indian sweet. It is traditionally made by cooking freshly grated carrots, milk and sugar together. Today we are making halwa the quicker way by using condensed milk and khoya (milk solids) along with some milk.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: People

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Neha

Equipment

1 Box Grater/Food Processor with grating blade
1 Heavy Bottomed Pan
1 Spatula (to stir)

Ingredients

1 Kg Carrots (About 14-15 medium Carrots)
⅔-1 (200-300 gms) Cup Condensed Milk
1 (200 gms) Cup Khoya/Mava (Evaporated milk solids)
1 Cup Whole Milk
3 Tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
¾ teaspoon Cardamom powder (freshly ground)
¼ teaspoon Saffron Strands (or a very generous pinch)
¼ Cup Nuts of choice (I used Cashew halves, raisins and slivered Almonds and Pistachios)

Instructions

Prepping the Carrots:

Begin by washing, peeling and then grating the carrots. You can grate carrots using a box grater or food processor. Just remember not to grate them super fine. This can lead the carrots to lose their texture while cooking. It will make your halwa mushy to taste.

Saute Carrots in Ghee:

In a heavy bottomed pan kept on medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of ghee. Cook grated carrots in it for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
Carrots at this stage will get slightly soft and their moisture will get evaporated. Carrots will also change their color and get lighter. Nothing to worry here, that's normal!

Add Condensed Milk, Khoya and Milk:

Now add ⅔ cup condensed milk, 1 cup khoya and a cup of milk to the pan. Mix and cook everything stirring often on medium flame till the halwa thickens. At this point don't leave the pan alone and keep stirring. As abandoning the pan can scorch the halwa from bottom and give it burnt taste.
Cook till most of the moisture is absorbed and carrots get tender. This should take about 11-12 minutes. Now taste test and add a little more condensed milk if you find it less sweet. You can add up to ⅓ cup more.

Add Spices and Nuts:

Next goes in cardamon powder, saffron (I like to crush them fresh in mortar pestle), and nuts of your choice. Give Halwa a quick stir. I used cashew halves, raisins, slivered almonds and pistachios.
Frying Nuts: You may also fry nuts first in some ghee if you wish. I did not, since I like them soft in my halwa rather than toasty!)

Roast Halwa in Ghee:

Finally roast halwa in 2 tablespoons of ghee for 2-3 minutes. This will also bring out the color of Halwa. Serve warm!

Notes

Storing and Freezing Information:

This halwa can be stored in refrigerator for 10-12 days. Remember to store it in an airtight container.

To Freeze: This dessert freezes well. You can easily freeze it for up to 1.5 months. Thaw on counter top for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat and enjoy!

A note on Ingredients:

Khoya/Mawa: I have used unsweetened khoya for this halwa. If your khoya is sweetened, you might require less condensed milk than stated in the recipe here.

Condensed Milk: You will not need any extra sugar if you are adding condensed milk in the halwa.

Cardamom and Saffron: I like to freshly grind these both. To make the powder of cardamon and saffron strands with ease, I add a generous pinch of sugar in mortar-pestle. This fine powder will have more flavor and aroma than pre grinded ones.

Ghee (Clarified Butter): Roasting halwa in ghee for a few minutes towards the end brings out the color of halwa. This also makes it taste so good, don't skip this step!

Nutrition