Gajar Halwa 🥕 North Indian 🇮🇳 (Carrot Halwa)

Name: Gajar Halwa 🥕 North Indian 🇮🇳 (Carrot Halwa)
Prep time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
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)

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Image for recipe: 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

1️⃣ Sauté carrots: Heat 🧈 ghee in a wide pan. Add 🥕 carrots; sauté 5–7 min until glossy and lightly wilted.
2️⃣ Reduce with milk: Pour in 🥛 milk. Simmer 25–30 min, stirring often and scraping sides, until most liquid evaporates.
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.
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

Nutritional Value

🔋 Energy: ≈320 kcal

💪 Protein: ≈7 g

🧈 Fat: ≈14 g

🍞 Carbohydrates: ≈44 g

🧂 Sodium: ≈120 mg

Advice

Sauté carrots in ghee before adding milk — it removes raw notes and gives the halwa a deeper, nutty base.

Why it works: Early sauté drives off moisture and starts caramelization; reducing milk concentrates dairy sugars; adding sugar after reduction prevents weeping and keeps the finish glossy.

Twist: Make a jaggery & date version (swap half the sugar for chopped dates), go vegan with coconut milk + coconut oil, or add orange zest for a bright winter note.

Status

Shiny, saffron-kissed, and spoonably rich — Gajar Halwa 🥕 is winter comfort in a bowl. #grannyzen #gajarhalwa #indiandesserts

Menu

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