Gajar ka Halwa (carrot pudding) is a popular Indian sweet dessert or pudding and one of favorite across the country. Gajar halwa, also called Gajrela. In North India, many people love to eat gajar ka halwa in breakfast or at lunchtime or at dinner especially, in the winter season. It is mainly served hot. If you prefer, you can even eat this halwa chilled. It is often prepared during Diwali, weddings and other such special celebrations in India.
This popular Indian dessert is a delicious blend of carrot (gajar), milk, sugar, khoya and blend of nuts. It is an easy recipe that takes much less time than the traditional way of making it in full cream milk. A healthy pudding because carrots are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C and fibre and milk makes it rich in calcium and protein. You may add Jaggery (gur) into the halwa instead of processed sugar, If you are health conscious.
Generally, there are too different ways of making Gajar ka Halwa. In this recipe, cook the grated carrot in pressure cooker and then add mawa at the end of the cooking process. It tastes heavenly with the nice blending of milk, carrots, khoya and nuts. It has with amazing taste makes it one of the popular Indian desserts.
Do try my Carrot Halwa recipe with a detailed step-by-step instructions below.
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Gajar Halwa
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Gajar Halwa is a gluten-free delicious Indian pudding or dessert prepared with grated carrots, khoya (evaporated milk), milk and sugar, ready in only 10 minutes – an instant pressure cooker recipe.
Ingredients
- 500 gram carrots
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water (room temperature)
- 100 grams mawa (khoya) crumbled
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoons mix dryfruits (almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins sliced) to garnish
Instructions
- First, wash and peel the carrots. Grate the carrots using the big holes grater.
- Add grated carrots in a pressure cooker with ½ cup of water. Add sugar on top. Do not mix it. Cook on low flame until a whistle comes up. After a whistle, turn off the flame. Release the steam manually from the cooker.
- Now heat a deep bottomed heavy kadhai or pan. Transfer the cooked carrots to the kadhai with ½ cup of milk. Set on low flame. Start stirring the carrots until all the moisture is absorbed and also start leaving the sides of the pan.
- Now add cardamom powder and crumbled mawa/khoya. Mix all together nicely. Keep stirring frequently for the next 5-10 minutes till the khoya is not nicely combined. Turn off the flame.
- Garnish carrot halwa with sliced pistachios and almonds. If you like, you can fry sliced dry fruits in a tablespoon of ghee to garnishing the halwa.
- Finally, serve gajar halwa chilled or warm.
Notes
- To make this Gajar Halwa, use fresh, juicy and tender carrots.
- Make sure use always big holes grater to grate the carrots either using the hand-held grater or box grater and a food processor. In-fact, food processor makes the job easier to grate the carrots.
- Avoid storing grated carrots in a plastic bag or openly for long time duration. It might turn black.
- This carrot halwa stays good in the fridge for almost about a week.
- Keep stirring in between to prevent from burning.
- Also adjust the amount of sugar-based on the sweetness of the carrot.
- Add khoya (mawa) at the end of the cooking process, until the carrots starts drying out
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Cuisine: Indian
