Gajar Halwa is an exquisite Pakistani and Indian dessert made with a delightful combination of carrots, ghee, milk, sugar, and nuts. This quick and easy recipe is a spin on the classic by using milk powder. You get the same enriching dessert but in only 30 minutes. It's sweet, simple, and satisfying!
The enticing aroma of this cardamom-infused Gajar Halwa makes the house smell like heaven. Whether you have guests over or are just craving something sweet, this mouth-watering, creamy dessert is all you need!
Carrot Halwa is quite a popular choice for special occasions like Eid, wedding and parties. So enjoy your favorite Winter dessert this holiday season with minimal fuss!
You can pair this delectable sweet treat with some Kashmiri Pink Chai or Masala Chai as a tea-time snack!
If you loved this Gajar Halwa, you might also like my traditional Zarda recipe.
Table of Content
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick, Easy & Fuss-Free - This instant 30-minute Carrot Halwa recipe ensures that you don't spent half a day in front of the stove cooking away the carrots or preparing your own khoya.
- It's Relatively Healthier - Compared to the classic method this fast method uses less oil.
- Made With Readily Available Ingredients - No need to hunt for red carrots or khoya or even ghee. Whichever place you live in the world, you can use common pantry ingredients to make this dish.
What Is Gajar Halwa
Gajar translates to 'carrot' and Halwa means a 'sweet confection'. Gajar Halwa is a traditional Punjabi dessert made from grated carrots, sugar, milk, ghee (or butter), and nuts. It's prevalent in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
There are several names for this dish, including gajar ka halwa, carrot halwa, and gajrela. You can also call it a carrot pudding. But it's not a pudding in the literal sense.
Traditional Method Vs Instant Method
Traditionally, Gajar Halwa (or Gajrela) is made by slow cooking grated carrots in milk for hours, until they absorb the milk and become soft and creamy.
This process usually takes several hours, so it's probably not an option for busy people looking to make this dessert quickly. Mastering the traditional recipe can also be a challenge for beginner cooks.
The gajar halwa recipe I am sharing today is made in only 30 minutes, starting by pan-frying the carrots and then adding some milk for creaminess, followed by milk powder to replicate the look of khoya (mawa).
This recipe has been specially designed to reduce the time spent making the famous carrot halwa but still tastes as luscious. This variation is also easier on your budget, fuss-free and healthier.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Carrots – Use fresh red carrots for the authentic taste. They are sweeter and more readily available in Pakistan and India. If you cannot get hold of them, orange carrots will work perfectly.
- Milk – If you want a richer taste, go for full fat milk. For those who want to make this dessert healthier, you can use skimmed milk or even non dairy milk.
- Sugar – Sugar is an essential ingredient in this recipe because it's a dessert and this halwa needs to be sweet.
- Ghee/Butter – Ghee will help give your halwa its rich taste and make it fragrant. You can alternate with unsalted butter or neutral cooking oil. I use a combination of ghee and butter for a richer flavour.
- Nuts – I have used chopped pistachios and sliced almonds for garnishing. You can also add walnuts and cashews for the crunch!
- Milk powder – Full cream milk powder is added to replicate the look of khoya. Get the unsweetened version or reduce the sugar in this recipe. If you have extra time to spare you can make your own khoya (also called mava) in a microwave. Or if it is available where you live then you can go ahead and add it instead.
- Cardamom Powder – 5 to 6 green cardamom pods ground finely in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, or use one teaspoon of cardamom powder.
How To Make Gajar Halwa
Follow these easy steps to make a delicious gajar halwa.
- Prep the ingredients - Start with peeling and then grating carrots using a fine grater or a food processor. Then chop the pistachios and crush cardamom pods unless you are using cardamom powder.
- Cook the carrots - Add carrots to a pan and let them cook over medium heat until they have softened. Keep stirring so they don't stick.
- Add the milk - add whole milk, sugar, and cardamom powder until the milk evaporates.
- Fry with ghee - Then add ghee and butter over medium heat until carrots start releasing oil and become glossy.
- Add milk powder - Remove from the heat and add milk powder. Then let cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Gajar Halwa is ready to serve.
- Garnish and serve - Serve warm with chopped nuts on the top.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh, juicy carrots for the best taste.
- Don't grate the carrots too finely or they will lose their texture when done cooking.
- If you are using sweetened milk powder, reduce the sugar in the beginning.
- Stirring carrot halwa is crucial to prevent the milk or carrots from sticking to the bottom of the pan and getting burnt.
- Ideally, use a thick-bottomed pan or skillet to make gajar halwa.
Variations For Carrot Halwa
- You can top with other nuts or dried fruits. Some other good candidates besides pistachios are almonds, walnuts, cashews and raisins.
- Some more garnishes could be dried rose petals or silver paper which is quite a standard in South Asian desserts.
- If you want a deeper flavour profile try adding a few threads of saffron.
- Swap up the milk and sugar with condensed milk. You will end up with an even richer and irresistible carrot halwa.
- This gajrela can also be made in the instant pot or pressure cooker.
FAQs
You can store carrot halwa in the fridge for 6-7 days after transferring it to an airtight container. This halwa also freezes quite well and stays good for upto 1 month.
Gajar ka halwa is usually served warm, but you can also eat it cold.
Serve warm in individual bowls, topped with chopped nuts like cashews and almonds! Or serve this tasty treat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with pistachios for an even more indulgent dessert.
Absolutely! If you are allergic to nuts or don't like them, feel free to omit. You can top it with some raisins instead.
More Pakistani Desserts
📖 Recipe
Quick And Easy Gajar Halwa (Carrot Halwa)
Ingredients
- 300 g (12oz) carrots peeled and grated
- ½ cup full fat milk
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon ghee or neutral cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ½ cup milk powder unsweetened
- unsalted pistachios sliced
- unsalted almonds thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a big pan. Add the grated carrots without any oil or water and on medium low heat cook them till they are no longer raw. Keep stirring in between so that they don't burn.
- Now add the cardamom powder, sugar and milk. Give a stir and cook on medium low heat till the milk evaporates.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the ghee. Fry the carrots till they start releasing some oil from the sides.
- Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the milk powder.
- Put back on the stovetop . Cover and let steam for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Take out on a plate and serve warm garnished with sliced almonds and pistachios.
Notes
- Commonly red carrots are used in this halwa because they are sweeter and juicier but orange carrots will work just as fine.
- Don't grate the carrots too finely or they will lose their texture when done cooking.
- If you are using a sweetened variety of milk powder, reduce the amount of sugar at the beginning.
- Instead of combining butter and ghee, you can use only butter or ghee or only cooking oil too.
Nutrition
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Abeera says
Hi. I tried it just now but it’s a total disaster. Are you sure that you added 1/2 cup of milk powder because it was a bit too much for the carrots? It looks like cooked carrots covered in milk powder and not edible at all.
Qashang says
Hi Abeera! I am sorry the recipe didn't work out for you. The milk powder gives an illusion of khoya. Did you steam and cook it after adding so it dissolves in the halwa?