Gajar ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Dessert)

I have always loved winters in delhi. When I was living there, I used to have this dessert almost every week. Winter is a beautiful time in Delhi because you can actually enjoy all the delicious street foods without sweating. And then end the meal on a sweet note with this aromatic sweet dessert.

You will be surprised to know that preparing this halwa at home is actually very easy. You will need fresh carrots so that they are juicy and crunchy. Peel and grate them, there is no shortcut to this process. 

You will also need ghee because it adds that authentic flavor and aroma in the halwa. A handful of cashews, green cardamom, sugar and perhaps the most important ingredient - Khoya.

In India, Khoya (Milk Solids) is found in a soft crumbled texture which instantly starts melting and softening up upon heating. I couldn’t find any fresh khoya at the local Indian store and making it at home seemed like too much work so I decided to use one of the readymade packets of Khoya. I was surprised to find it in a solid form, like a block of Paneer. I heated it but it continued to remain dry and crumbly. So I called my mom and she suggested adding some milk or heavy cream in it. So I added some milk, then covered and cooked it for a few minutes. I could see the khoya softening up and melting. 

So, once you have all the ingredients ready, there is nothing major to do. Fry the cashews in ghee, add the green cardamom powder, add carrots and keep frying till it starts drying. Then add sugar and khoya and cook on low heat. Once the extra moisture from the carrots and milk from the khoya dries up, it’s ready!

One small tip, serve warm. Believe me I am one of those people who just love cold dessert straight from the fridge but Gajar ka Halwa tastes best when warm. 

Sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy a bowl full of this yummy goodness. If you want to thank me, tag your photos and comments using my hashtag #lifewithoutalu

Ingredients:

• Cashews – ½ cup, whole or halves
• Khoya (Milk Solids) – ½ packet (about 5-6 oz.) 
• Milk/ Heavy Cream – about 1 cup
• Green Cardamom – 2-3, powdered
• Carrots – almost 1 pound, peeled, washed, grated
• Ghee – ½ cup
• Sugar – ½ cup + 2 tablespoons

Directions:

• Heat a big skillet over low heat and add the Ghee in it. Once it melts, add the Cashews.

Tip: Frying cashews in oil or ghee is a task requiring utmost attention. They burn very fast and once they are even slightly burnt they are good for nothing. I have found that by dipping them for just 5 minutes in lukewarm water not only makes them shinier and brighter in color but also makes them not that easy to get burnt. Make sure to strain them properly and dry them on paper towels before frying.

• When the cashews look beautifully toasted (about 5 minutes), add the Green Cardamom powder. I use my mortar pestle to make the powder. 
• Next add the grated carrots. Increase heat to medium. Fry them till the moisture almost dries.
• In the meantime let’s take a look at the khoya. Now, if you have fresh/ homemade Khoya, it will be in a soft and crumbly form and start melting down as soon as it is heated. If you are using a readymade Khoya packet (like me) it will continue to look dry and retain its solid form. Add the Milk/ Heavy Cream and cover and cook it for 3-4 minutes. This will break the solid Khoya and soften it up. Our goal is to have soft Khoya so if it looks wet, continue frying to dry up the excess milk/ cream. Keep the heat on low. 
• Keep an eye on the carrots, once the moisture dries, turn down the heat to low and add sugar.
• Fry the carrot and sugar together and once the Khoya is done, transfer it to the carrot-sugar mixture and mix well. 
• Continue frying on low heat till the halwa looks dry and the extra moisture/ milk dries up. The halwa will have a deep red color and the Ghee will start getting separated. 
• Gajar ka Halwa is ready! Serve it hot.

Love Indian Desserts? Try these as well:

• Chaler Payesh (Bengali style Rice Pudding)
• Allahabadi Fruit Cream
• Gobindobhog Chal diye Patali Gurer Payesh (Bengali Rice Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery)
• Moong Dal ka Halwa (Indian Yellow Lentils Dessert)
• Rabri (Clotted Cream in Condensed Milk)
• Sevai ki Kheer (Semai Payesh / Vermicelli Pudding)
• Dry Fruit Laddu (Mamma’s homemade sweets with dry fruits)
• Gujiya (Crispy Flaky Indian Sweet Dumpling stuffed with Milk Solids and Nuts)

Savory Indian Cookies -

• Mathri (Savory Indian Cookies)
• Besan Mathri (Deep Fried Flaky Gram Flour Cookies)
• Baked Cumin / Nigella Seeds Namkeens