Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa

Delicious carrot halwa recipe – Indian carrot pudding prepared with carrots, milk, and ghee sweetened with sugar and sweet condensed milk! Check out how I make carrot halwa on the stove top with detailed step-wise pictures.

Carrot halwa, popularly known as gajar ka halwa/ gajrela, is a classic Indian dessert quite popular in Northern India. Gajar means carrots in Hindi, and halwa is more like pudding, of course, without eggs. If you follow my blog, you will all know how much I like fruit- and vegetable-based desserts. I have already shared Instant Pot zucchini halwa, and now it’s time for some carrot halwa. 

Being a South Indian, carrot kosambari and carrot poriyal were common in our households, and honestly, I don’t remember relishing carrot halwa growing up. Like paneer dishes, I remember enjoying it first in restaurants here in the United States. Yes, this carrot halwa is quite popular on restaurant menus. 

My love for carrots made me try this halwa, and here is my version. I am not claiming this recipe to be authentic or traditional North-Indian style, but I can assure you that it is delicious for sure. Give it a try, and let me know. 

Ingredients required

Carrots (red or orange) – While the traditional carrot halwa recipe calls for red carrots, you can use red or orange, whichever you can source. In New Jersey, during Jan/Feb, I get red carrots, which I have used for this recipe. But I have also tried this recipe with regular orange carrots. 

Whole Milk: We cook carrots in whole milk, which adds amazing flavor. 

Sugar and sweet condensed milk: I have used regular granulated sugar for this recipe, and to add rich flavor and texture, I have also used sweetened condensed milk. 

Ghee: You cannot imagine Indian desserts without ghee. We need 1.5 to 2 tbsps of ghee, and I highly recommend not reducing it further. 

Cashews: I love adding some roasted nuts to my halwa. I used some cashews, and towards the end, I garnished it with some slivered pistachios too. Skip for a nut-free version.

Saffron and cardamom: I love the combination of saffron and cardamom. In Hindi, it’s the kesar(saffron) and elaichi(cardamom); they both add amazing flavor to this carrot halwa. You can add either one or both based on availability. 

Different ways to serve this carrot halwa

Carrot halwa is best when relished warm. Feel free to add some vanilla or Indian-flavor rajbhog ice cream on warm carrot halwa and enjoy! 

If you like making dessert jars, you can use this carrot halwa as a base or one of the layers. You can use this carrot halwa instead of boondi in my baked boondi rabri recipe. Alternatively, you can layer this carrot halwa and my crumbled paneer ladoos for a stunning dessert jar. 

Dietary specifications

This carrot halwa is a gluten-free dessert. Skip the nuts for a nut-free version. I am yet to experiment with the vegan version of carrot halwa. You can try it with plant-based milk and vegan ghee.

So far, I have stored the carrot halwa for two days in the fridge. You can reheat the required portion before serving. This below measure serves three generously. 

How to make carrot halwa

• Heat the kadai or pan and add 1 tbsp of ghee. When it is hot, add the cashews and roast them until it turns light brown. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside.

• In the same pan, add the grated carrots. There should be some ghee left after roasting the cashews; if not, add ½ tbsp and then add the carrots.

• Roast the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. The color of the carrots will change, and it will ooze out some moisture, and that’s fine. 

• Now add the milk and mix well.

• Cover and cook the carrots for 7 to 8 minutes. Open the lid and stir the carrots every two to three minutes. 

• Now add the sugar and mix. Cook for two more minutes.

• Then add the sweetened condensed milk, ground cardamom, and saffron. 

• The halwa will be slightly watery, and that’s fine. Add ½ tbsp of ghee and cook until the mixture thickens over medium-low heat. It took me 10 minutes, and I forgot to take the final step picture.

• Finally, add the roasted cashews and enjoy warm. 

Recipe Notes

• Make sure to cook the halwa over medium-low heat. On a number scale, I was adjusting between 3 and 4. Do not cook over high heat, and don’t rush the process. Slow cooking enhances the flavor.
• You can soak the saffron strands in the milk instead of adding them directly.
• Adjust the sugar and sweet condensed milk to taste. 
• You can skip the condensed milk and add more sugar instead. 
• I used my hand grater to grate the carrots, and I have tried grating it on the thicker and the thin side, and we loved the texture in both cases. For this recipe, I grated it on the thin side. 

More carrot recipes 

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5 from 3 votes

Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa

Delicious carrot halwa recipe – Indian carrot pudding prepared with carrots, milk, and ghee sweetened with sugar and sweet condensed milk!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 3

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

• ▢ 1.5 tbsp ghee you can add up to 2 tbsp
• ▢ 10 cashews broken into small pieces
• ▢ 200 grams carrots grated (approx 1.5 cups)
• ▢ 3 tbsp whole milk you can add up to 4 tbsp
• ▢ 4 tbsp sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp condensed milk
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ▢ a pinch of saffron strands
• ▢ slivered pistachios to garnish

Instructions

• Heat the kadai or pan and add 1 tbsp of ghee. When it is hot, add the cashews and roast them until it turns light brown. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside.
• In the same pan, add the grated carrots. There should be some ghee left after roasting the cashews; if not, add ½ tbsp and then add the carrots.
• Roast the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. The color of the carrots will change, and it will ooze out some moisture, and that’s fine.
• Now add the milk and mix well.
• Cover and cook the carrots for 7 to 8 minutes. Open the lid and stir the carrots every two to three minutes.
• Now add the sugar and mix. Cook for two more minutes.
• Then add the sweetened condensed milk, ground cardamom, and saffron.
• The halwa will be slightly watery, and that’s fine. Add ½ tbsp of ghee and cook until the mixture thickens over medium-low heat. It took me 10 minutes, and I forgot to take the final step picture. Finally, add the roasted cashews and enjoy warm.

Notes

• Make sure to cook the halwa over medium-low heat. On a number scale, I was adjusting between 3 and 4. Do not cook over high heat, and don’t rush the process. Slow cooking enhances the flavor.
• You can soak the saffron strands in the milk instead of adding them directly.
• Adjust the sugar and sweet condensed milk to taste. 
• You can skip the condensed milk and add more sugar instead. 
• I used my hand grater to grate the carrots, and I have tried grating it on the thicker and the thin side, and we loved the texture in both cases. For this recipe, I grated it on the thin side. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 11197IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2016. Now updated the recipe with recipe card, detailed step-wise pictures.