Also known as gajrela in states of Delhi & Haryana, you are going to need just 6-7 basic ingredients to make this slow cooked punjabi style gajar ka halwa recipe. When food connects to a memory, there is a sense of warmth that crosses the heart. For me, it is a classic dessert full of nostalgia. Whenever my grandmother used to make carrot halwa, she made a huge quantity with at least 5 to 6 kilograms of carrots. Everyone at home, including us, the kids roped in to help. We took turns to fine grate the seasonal red carrots (Delhi gajar) using a hand grater (there wasn’t any food processor in those days). Soon enough, a large kadai (indian wok) was set on the stove and for the rest of the day, she would laboriously cooked the carrots and milk to make the best gajar ka halwa I have ever eaten. A warm bowl of khoya gajar ka halwa on a cold winter evening like hug in a bowl. Right? I created these delicious gajar ladoos stuffed with mawa last year taking inspiration from halwa.
About The Recipe
Gajar = Carrots in Hindi. The word halwa is used to describe indian pudding desserts (similar to sooji halwa) made with flours, vegetables, fruits or nut based desserts. It is also called indian carrot pudding in restaurants out here. Khoya or Mawa is dried evaporated milk solids made by simmering whole milk for long hours so that the milk liquid evaporates and the milk solids remain behind. Khoya is used extensively in northern india to make numerous mithai(sweet treats). Like most classic indian recipes, gajar halwa is made in different ways in across India. It is a popular indian dessert served at weddings and sweet shops during winter. I remember we used to call it “shaadiyon vala halwa”. I used to look forward to wintertime weddings to feast on this khoya carrot halwa. The richness of the khoya complements the sweetness of the carrots and combined with the nuts and ghee – I promise you this recipe will help you make perfect gajar ka halwa which is delicious and soul warming.
Why You Will Love this Gajar Ka Recipe
Makes a rich and delicious carrot halwa. When it comes to desserts, I do not like to cut corners. I make it using traditional method by slow cooking carrots with ghee, milk, cardamom powder and sugar. Full of Almond Goodness- Gajar halwa with badam(almonds) is next level delicious! I use almond meal and chopped almonds in this recipe. You will taste the nuttiness of almonds in every bite and, adding almonds makes this halwa so warming for the winter months. Tweakable Recipe - You may adjust the recipe to your preference and what you have at home. Do not want to add almonds- simply skip them. Want to just use milk to make traditional style carrot halwa? Do not have khoya? Add milk powder instead. Want a quick carrot halwa recipe? Use Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Keep reading the article for the substitutions.You can double or triple this recipe and make a big batch and freeze for 2-3 months. How good does gajar halwa stash in the freezer sound?Yum!
Ingredients Needed
Below are the 6 ingredients(plus cardamom) you need to make gajar halwa with khoya.
Fresh Carrots (preferably organic) - We need shredded carrots . If you are lucky enough to get Delhi red carrots, then use those. Else sweet & juicy orange carrots are best to use.Ghee or Unsalted Butter is fine to use too. Whole (Full Fat Milk) Ground Almonds or Almond Meal- I use ready to use super fine blanched almond flour. Khoya/Mawa - Is easily available in indian or pakistani stores. If you would like to make it at home, I shared an instant homemade khoya recipe here a while back. Make sure to buy the unsweetened khoya to use in this recipe. Khoya is easily available at halwai (sweet) shops in India. Sugar – I like using raw cane sugar which I usually use at home. You can use granulated sugar or white sugar.
How To Make Gajar Halwa
Different Methods To Make Gajar Halwa
Some Useful Tips
Use a wide mouthed utensil. This helps in two ways. It makes sure that you can sauté and scrape the carrots properly while roasting them. Secondly, the liquid of milk and sugar evaporates quickly in a wide mouthed pot. I use a 10- or 12-inch kadai or 12-inch dutch pot to make gajar ka halwa. Do not Skimp on Ghee. Ghee not only adds flavor but also helps in roasting the carrots. Ghee makes the carrot halwa moist. When the amount of ghee is right, the taste of bhuna hua halwa (perfectly roasted) comes through and the halwa does not taste dry. Do not grate the carrots too fine else the halwa will not have any texture and it will be mushy. The right texture of delhi style gajar halwa is soft and melt in the mouth with a bit of chewiness at the end from grated carrots. Avoid sautéing the gajar ka halwa too much after adding the khoya else the fat from the mawa will separate and the halwa will become oily.
Serving & Storing
Gajar ka Halwa is best served warm garnished with extra chopped nuts. You can crumble extra khoya on top. It tastes so good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I feel that Gajar halwa always tastes better the next day. Make the halwa and let it completely cool to room temperature and then store it in an air tight container with a lid. Refrigerate and next day, reheat and serve it. You can store halwa in fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, you can warm it up on stove or microwave. Freezing Carrot halwa can be easily frozen for 2-3 months. For freezing, portion out the halwa using a measuring cup(I usually do ⅓ cup portions) or ice cream scoop. Place the portions on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. First individually freeze the portions for at least 6 hours or till set. Place the frozen halwa portions in a ziplock back and keep in the freezer for when you want to use. You can thaw the quantity you like for at least an hour or so before reheating.
