Gajar ka Halwa Recipe
Gajar Halwa | Carrot Halwa |
Carrot pudding or Gajar ka halwa is an immensely renowned dessert that is made using carrots, ghee, nuts, milk, and sugar. It is also known as gajrela in Punjabi.
Gajar Halwa dish occupies its place in almost every function, party, and festival. It is generally prepared during winters.
Gajar ka halwa can be eaten hot or cold. Gajar ka halwa has many health benefits. Carrots provide beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber. These help in improving digestion, eye health, and immunity.
Milk adds calcium and protein to the dish. The dry fruits add to the protein and antioxidants in the halwa. The ghee in halwa provides the required fats to your body which helps in reducing aches and joint pains.
I have prepared gajar ka halwa in a cooker. It not only reduces the cooking time but also adds to its taste.
For a diabetic person, this halwa can be prepared using sugar-free. I have used cardamom(elaichi) powder to give this halwa a wonderful flavor and garnished it with chopped dry fruits.
Follow my easy step-by-step recipe to make this mouth-watering Gajar ka halwa.
Preparation Time:
10 Minutes
Cooking Time:
40 Minutes
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Ingredients (Servings - 8 people)
- Carrot – 1 Kg
- Full Cream Milk – 1 Kg
- Kesar(Saffron) – 15-16 strands
- Sugar – 250 g
- Cashew, for garnishing – 1 tablespoon
- Pistachios(Pista), for garnishing – 1 tablespoon
- Cardamom Powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Ghee – 2 tablespoon
How to make Gajar ka Halwa
Preparing Carrots
- Wash carrots and peel them.
- Thickly grate them using a food processor or a hand grater.
- Squeeze the grated carrots and separate them from water.
Main Method
- Heat milk in a heavy bottom vessel. Bring it to a boil.
- Cook till it becomes thick or in other words, 1 kg milk should get reduced to ½ kg i.e. 50% by continuous boiling on low to medium flame.
- Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a cooker on high flame.
- Add grated carrots and cook them in ghee for 5 minutes or till a nice aroma starts coming up.
- Add the boiled milk and kesar to a cooker and mix well.
- Cook on high flame for one whistle.
- Keep aside and let the pressure of the cooker settle down on its own.
- Remove the lid of the cooker.
- Cook again with a lid removed.
- You can also transfer it to the heavy bottom vessel or continue cooking in the cooker.
- Keep switching between high, medium, and low flame.
- Remember, when cooking on a high flame, keep stirring continuously so that milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker or vessel.
- Cook till the milk gets reduced by 75%.
- Pour sugar and cook on medium to low flame till the halwa starts leaving the cooker.
- Turn off the flame.
- Garnish with cardamom and cashew and chopped pista.
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Gajar ka Halwa Recipe Tips
which add magic to your recipe!!!
Tip 1
Carrots can be fully prepared in a kadai. But, taking a whistle in the cooker as mentioned in the above recipe, reduces the cooking time.
Tip 2
Roasting carrot in ghee gives it a good color and taste.
Tip 3
The water left out after squeezing carrots can be consumed as juice
Tip 4
Milk for halwa can also be prepared one day earlier. It will reduce the preparation time while preparing halwa.
Tip 5
You may add mawa or mawa burfi in halwa to enhance its taste. If you are using mawa burfi, then add sugar accordingly.
Tip 6
If you are health conscious, you may add grated paneer in place of mawa.
Tip 7
Carrots should be grated thick instead of thin.
Tip 8
Adding Kesar(Saffron) to the halwa enhances its flavour.
Tip 9
After boiling carrots in the cooker, halwa may be prepared in a non-stick pan.
Tip 10
Gajar ka halwa can be stored for a maximum of 4-5 days in a fridge.
Tip 11
You can also add milk cream if you do not want to thicken the milk.
Recipe Card
Gajar ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Carrot
- 1 Kg Full Cream Milk
- 15-16 strands Kesar(Saffron)
- 250 g Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cashew, for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon Pistachios(Pista), for garnishing
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
Instructions
Preparing Carrots
- Wash carrots and peel them.Thickly grate them using a food processor or a hand grater.
- Squeeze the grated carrots and separate them from water.
Main Method
- Heat milk in a heavy bottom vessel. Bring it to a boil.
- Cook till it becomes thick or in other words, 1 kg milk should get reduced to ½ kg i.e. 50% by continuous boiling on low to medium flame.
- Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a cooker on high flame.
- Add grated carrots and cook them in ghee for 5 minutes or till a nice aroma starts coming up.
- Add the boiled milk and kesar in a cooker and mix well.
- Cook on high flame for one whistle.Keep aside and let the pressure of the cooker settle down on its own.
- Remove the lid of the cooker.Cook again with a lid removed.
- You can also transfer it to the heavy bottom vessel or continue cooking in the cooker.Keep switching between high, medium, and low flame.
- Remember, when cooking on a high flame, keep stirring continuously so that milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker or vessel.
- Cook till the milk gets reduced by 75%.
- Pour sugar and cook on medium to low flame till the halwa starts leaving the cooker.
- Turn off the flame.Garnish with cardamom and cashew and chopped pista.
Delicious👌👌