Aish Cooks

Gajar ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding ~ Grated carrots slow-cooked in milk, sugar and ghee

Did you know that carrots can sprout flowers if left in thriving considerations (i.e., produce drawer of the refrigerator) for a really long time? Well, I just found out. So between a bunch of carrots pleading to be used, and trying to find a lame way to not let Dussehra be a regular Monday, I set out to make this super easy festive Indian dessert 2 weeks ago: carrot halwa!

This recipe was one of my very first kitchen experiments, eons ago… and I like to remember how this success was a big motivation to my continued interests in the culinary department.  As long as you are not in a hurry, and don’t mind a bit of upper arm work-out, you can be assured of a delicious dessert. Like most halwa recipes, stirring makes up for the bulk of the effort needed, which means smaller batches are a lot easier and quicker to put together. But if you’re going to be making halwa anyways (which I’m sure is not a weeknight venture with no pre-planning, unless you are like me) why not make a nice big batch so you can pack some off to the neighbors and friends in true Indian festive-style? Diwali’s just around the corner… so you might as well get some practice ahead of time!

Gajar ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding

Serves: 4 | Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups grated carrots (medium-grate for a nice coarse texture)
2. 2 cups whole milk
3. 1/4 cup sugar (this gives just a mild sweetness, increase quantity if you prefer sweeter halwa)
4. 1/4 cup nuts of choice, chopped (choose from almonds, cashews, pistachios, raisins)
5. 4 tbsp ghee / melted butter (add more for richer halwa)

Method:

1. Warm the milk in the microwave for a couple of minutes, or bring to boil in a sauce pan and set aside.
2. Heat 1 – 2 tbsp ghee in a pan (non-stick preferred), and add the chopped nuts.
3. Saute nuts for a couple of minutes until slightly brown and cooked. Remove onto a plate, set aside.
4. Add the remaining ghee to the pan, and stir in the grated carrots.
5. Saute the carrots for about 5-7 minutes on medium heat, until slightly pale and medium done.
6. Add the warm milk, and cook on a simmer for about 20 minutes until all the milk has been absorbed and dried up.
7. Note: Stir every few minutes at the start, and more frequently towards the end making sure the milk does not burn at the bottom.
8. Add the sugar, after the milk has cooked up completely, and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and most of the water from the sugar has been soaked up (about 7-10 minutes).
9. Add the nuts along with a pinch of ground cardamom, and more ghee if desired.
10. Continue to stir bringing the mixture together, on low heat, for a few more minutes until the halwa no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan and balls-up when stirring.
11. The halwa is done when ghee starts to glisten and coat the halwa, or leave the sides of the pan if you used more ghee to start with.
12. Note: The halwa gets thicker while cooling down, so do not dry it out too much before you turn off the heat.

Turn off the heat and let if cool down before storing in dry cool place. Serve hot with ice-cream or cold. Keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days, and just re-heat before serving.

Note:

• Cooking time varies greatly by heat-level. The halwa is best made on med-to-low heat throughout (4/10 flame/coil level) until the mixture is dry.
• When making a large batch, pressure cooking the carrots with some milk and water helps speed up the process.
• I personally like my halwa with a lot of nuts, but adjust the quantity to your preference.