Sharing sweet dish means sharing happiness. But it comes to sharing gajar ka halwa to others then foodies always deny it. Gajar ka halwa is something which is not shareable, haha. It is really that much delicious. Without this dessert, a meal is incomplete for any special occasion.
This carrot-based pudding is popular since the Mughal period and one of the most delicious desserts in Northern India. Carrot, milk, khoya, nuts, sugar etc are the main ingredients of this Indian carrot pudding.
Yes, khoya is also an important ingredient to make this gajar ka halwa. But I have not added khoya to this halwa. Instead of khoya I added extra milk what makes this a smart recipe. Smart recipe in the sense that effort as well as cost of this halwa is reduced but it did not comprise with its taste. Rather I would say it is tastier than market bought gajar ka halwa.
What is halwa?
I believe you understood that it is named gajar ka halwa because gajar (carrot) is used here. But what is halwa? What does it mean?
It is said that this dessert is prepared for the first time during the Mughal period. Halwa means sweet in the Arabic language. That is why it is called as halwa.
There are different types of halwa are available in India. Sooji halwa & wheat flour based halwa are also very popular in India. So which one is your favorite halwa? I believe that gajar ka halwa will be your favorite for sure.
Gajar ka halwa & festivals
Honestly say, people in India can not think any festival without sweet dishes. So when you think about Indian sweet items then carrot halwa will definitely come into your mind.
Gajar ka halwa & festivals are almost inseparable in many parts of the country. From a wedding reception to a religious festival, people simply can not think food menu without this Indian carrot pudding. People need this dessert for celebrating Makar Sankranti, Dashera, Diwali, New Year party, Holi etc.
But there are some parts of the country where it is not as much popular. In West Bengal, you do not find a local sweet shop where this dessert is selling.
So whenever I want to taste this dessert I have to make it at my own kitchen. Normally whenever I tried gajorer halua (Gajar ka halwa in Bengali) in my childhood in Kolkata, I found milk was not properly dried up. Though I hardly two or three times tasted it in my childhood.
But when I shifted to Delhi then I found that taste is different because in Delhi they add more mawa or khoya and milk is certainly dried up. The taste is not just different but better too.
So after I came back to Kolkata, I tried to make it at my kitchen and surprisingly it was as delicious as I used to eat in Delhi. After that, I make it very often during the winter season at home.
So are you ready to try this at your own place too? It is very simple & undoubtedly super delicious.
Indian carrot pudding recipe
- 250 gm carrot
- 1 liter full cream milk
- 2-3 cardamoms
- 150 gm sugar
- Handful crushed cashew nuts (or almonds/pistachios)
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- Boil milk over a medium flame and boil till it reduces to two-third of its total volume, add 2-3 cardamoms too
- Add grated carrot and allow it to boil again over low/medium flame
- Once it becomes very thick then add sugar and stir
- Now add cashew nuts and cook over low flame it milk is almost dried up
- Add ghee, stir to mix and switch off the fire
- Serve warm or at normal temperature
Though you can add more khoya if you want but 100 gm khoya is enough for 250 gm carrot
You can also add nuts according to your choice, here I have only added cashew nuts
Try some other Indian sweet dishes too: Taler bora, Bengali joynagarer moa, easy & tasty sattu laddo, mouthwatering balushahi, most popular Indian sweet gulab jamun
How to make gajar ka halwa at home?
Boil full cream milk over medium flame to reduce its volume to two-third, do not forget to stir after frequent interval otherwise it will be sticky at bottom. Also, add 2-3 cardamoms.
Now add grated carrot and stir. Continue boiling over medium flame till the milk becomes very thick.
Add sugar and stir, add ghee too when gajar ka halwa is almost dried up and stir to mix ghee properly
Serve it warm, you can garnish it with dry fruits but when you are making it for your own then you can avoid it.
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