Gajar Halwa 🥕 North Indian 🇮🇳 (Carrot Halwa)

Description

Slow-cooked grated carrots with milk, ghee, and cardamom — glossy, cozy, and festival-sweet 🌞🍮.
Hook: One pan, 45 minutes, classic halwai flavor at home ⚡

Ingredients

• 🥕 Red/regular carrots, grated (coarse): 1 kg (2.2 lb / ~12 cups)
• 🧈 Ghee: 50 g (3½ tbsp / 1.8 oz)
• 🥛 Whole milk: 1 L (4 cups / 34 fl oz)
• 🍬 Sugar: 120–150 g (⅔–¾ cup / 4.2–5.3 oz), to taste
• 🌿 Ground cardamom: ½ tsp (1.5 g)
• 💛 Saffron, a pinch (optional), soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
• 🧂 Pinch of salt (balances sweetness)
• 🥜 Cashews & pistachios, chopped: 30–40 g (¼–⅓ cup / 1–1.4 oz)
• 🍇 Golden raisins: 20 g (2 tbsp / 0.7 oz)
• (Optional richness) Khoya/mawa 80 g (⅔ cup grated) or milk powder 40 g (⅓ cup)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Sauté carrots: Heat 🧈 ghee in a wide pan. Add 🥕 carrots; sauté 5–7 min until glossy and lightly wilted.
2. 2️⃣ Reduce with milk: Pour in 🥛 milk. Simmer 25–30 min, stirring often and scraping sides, until most liquid evaporates.
3. 3️⃣ Sweeten & scent: Stir in 🍬 sugar (and khoya/milk powder if using). Cook 8–10 min more until thick, shiny, and leaving the pan sides. Add 🌿 cardamom, 💛 saffron milk, and 🧂 salt.
4. 4️⃣ Finish: In 1 tsp ghee, toast 🥜 nuts 1 min; add 🍇 raisins to plump 20 s. Fold into halwa. Serve warm or at room temp.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min

🔥 Cook: 40–45 min

⏳ Total: 55–60 min

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