Winters in northern India are incomplete without Carrot Halwa or Gajar ka Halwa. Also known as Gajrela or Gajar Halwa, this traditional Punjabi dish of grated carrots slowly simmered in milk, sweetened, and enriched with ghee, is one we look forward to during fresh carrot season.
Sweet Indian red carrots are used in our easy carrot halwa recipe, a winter delight. Carrot halwa not only tastes great but also packs a lot of nutritional benefits.
To prepare the best carrot halwa recipe you need whole milk (full-cream milk), freshly grated carrots, sugar, ghee, powdered cardamom seeds, and soaked and sliced almonds for the garnish. Making our easy carrot halwa recipe might be a slightly long process but it is easy and you are rewarded with a great dessert. Gajar ka halwa is dense yet soft and moist, with a hint of aroma from the green cardamom powder, and the unmatched flavour of pure desi ghee.
Carrot halwa is often served on festive occasions such as Diwali, Holi, Eid etc., but is also a regular dish in Punjab during the winter. Chances are that if you walk into a Punjabi home during carrot season, you will find carrot halwa simmering away on the stove.
Carrot halwa is believed to have been introduced to Indian cuisine during the Mughal period. It has, however, assumed greater significance in the state of Punjab and is often associated with traditional Punjabi cuisine. It is also widely consumed in Pakistan.
If you are making this dish for the first time, head over to our detailed carrot halwa recipe video for step-by-step instructions. Make sure you keep stirring the milk continuously while making this easy carrot halwa recipe before adding the carrots. After adding the carrots you don’t need to stir the pot continuously, but you do need to stir it every now and then or your milk can catch the bottom of the pan.
To make this a really healthy carrot halwa recipe, reduce the amount of sugar in the halwa. The quantity of ghee can also be reduced in this carrot halwa recipe – in fact, at times ghee is completely omitted in Punjabi homes when a light dessert is called for. Besides, carrots are extremely healthy as they contain substantial amount of Vitamin A along with other vitamins such as Vitamin K and C as well as minerals such as potassium and calcium.
Once you’ve mastered our recipe for carrot halwa, you can try making a variation of it with khoya as is done in some homes (though we prefer our pure version!). Some even use condensed milk in place of milk using the milkmaid carrot halwa recipe, which hastens the process of making the dish but compromises the taste when compared to our delicious slow cooked version.
For a few months every year in winter, north India gets an Indian variety of red carrots (sometimes called Delhi red carrots or just Delhi carrots) which are sweeter and juicer than the orange ones available all through the year. This red carrot is what is traditionally used to make the best carrot halwa.
Using these red carrots will ensure you make the best gajar ka halwa ever.
Carrot halwa will remain fresh for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. In fact, due to its long shelf-life it is also exported to meet the demands of the Non-Residential Indians abroad.
Fun Fact: Carrots were originally white and then slowly developed into other colours such as yellow and purple over centuries. The orange carrots that we are so used to eating were the result of Dutch politics. In the 16th century, William of Orange led the Dutch to independence from Spain. Subsequently an orange strain of carrots was developed in the 17th century, and the Dutch, who were prolific carrot farmers, embraced these orange carrots in a fit of national pride and grew them in honour of William the Orange. Other coloured carrots went out of style and we now mostly see orange carrots.
Carrot halwa can be served either hot or cold. It is usually served hot when it is freshly made and then often cold straight from the refrigerator (if you’re lazy like we are) later as a snack. Try serving carrot halwa hot as a post-meal dessert or any-time-of-the-day pick-me-up snack. It tastes great garnished with soaked, peeled, and sliced almonds or pistachios if you prefer those.
Punjab in your kitchen…a traditional Gajar ka Halwa recipe that you will love. Cook this delicious Carrot Halwa at home with our easy step by step video and recipe.
If you like our carrot halwa recipe you may also want to try:
Badam Halwa | Almond Halwa
Atte Ka Halwa | Whole Wheat Halwa
Mango Pickle
Shahi Phirni
Kadha for Corona
Malpua | Indian Pancakes
Coconut Ladoo
Besan Ladoo
Or see all our Dessert Recipes right here!