Gajar ka halwa arrives with the long, deep-red Delhi carrots that appear in North Indian markets from December to February. Punjabi families grate kilos of them at a time, often on the terrace in the winter sun, and cook the halwa in large heavy kadais for weddings, Lohri and everyday winter evenings.
The carrots are simmered in milk until the milk is completely absorbed, then roasted in ghee with sugar until glossy and deep orange. The result is sweet, rich and slightly grainy, with the carrot flavour still distinct. Khoya adds a creamy, fudgy texture and cardamom gives the familiar aroma. Nuts are fried in ghee for crunch.
It is served warm, sometimes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoon of rabri, after dinner or with tea. It keeps for a week in the fridge and reheats well with a spoon of ghee. The orange carrots available year round work too, though they need extra sugar and give a paler halwa. A pressure cooker can shorten the first stage, but slow cooking in a wide kadai gives the best texture.
At a glance
| Region | Punjab |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Punjabi |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Dessert |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 75 minutes |
| Total time | 105 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | carrots / milk / ghee / sugar / khoya |
Ingredients
- 1 kg red Delhi carrots, peeled and finely grated
- 1 litre full-cream milk
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 3/4 cup sugar (adjust to the carrots' sweetness)
- 100 g khoya (mawa), crumbled
- 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
- 12 cashews, chopped
- 12 almonds, slivered
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped
Method
- Put the grated carrots and milk in a wide heavy-bottomed kadai and bring to a boil on high, stirring.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the sides, until the milk has evaporated completely and the mixture is thick.
- Add the ghee and cook on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the carrots look glossy and turn a deeper red.
- Add sugar. It will melt and make the halwa runny again; keep cooking 10 to 12 minutes until it thickens and the ghee starts to show at the edges.
- Stir in the crumbled khoya and cardamom powder and cook 3 to 4 minutes until it blends in.
- Meanwhile, fry the cashews, almonds and raisins in 1 tsp ghee until the nuts are golden and raisins puff.
- Mix most of the nuts into the halwa and use the rest with the pistachios to garnish. Serve warm.
Tips
- Use the finest side of the grater; coarse shreds stay chewy.
- Add sugar only after the milk has reduced – adding it early slows evaporation and can make the carrots tough.
- No khoya? Add 1/2 cup milk powder with a little milk at the same stage.
Serve with
Warm, on its own or with vanilla ice cream or rabri.