Gajar Ka Halwa or the Indian style Carrot Pudding is a star winter dish of Punjab. Forget Punjab, I have my doubts that there is any Indian who hasn’t heard of this legendary winter dish.
I have such fond memories of eating Gajar ka Halwa while growing up! My mum would make it oh so often because we all loved it and would polish a batch off in no time!
I know I am a little late and summer is almost here, but I somehow absolutely forgot about it. But guys, you are still getting those red carrots. Make the gajar ka halwa one last time before the carrots vanish from the market. I surely will and then how can I not have something sweet for Holi? 🙂
I remember how we would start waiting for the red carrots to come right from October onwards so that we get to eat halwa. The orange variety was not available in Delhi in those days. While growing up carrot used to be only red and available only in winters. Mum would make loads of this throughout the season and we would eat it all up in no time! The dry fruits which were fried in pure ghee and put in the halwa made the taste so much exotic! I would love to dig out the cashews and the almonds and pop them into my mouth and then eat up rest of the halwa!
Before jumping to the recipe, here are some winter special recipes!
If you make this, share a picture with me on twitter, instagram or Facebook? I would love to hear what you have to say about it !
PS: This is a post from Feb 2010 which has been edited with new pictures and re-tested recipe. Have kept the text more or less the same it was at that time for the sake of memories.
- Shred the carrots (take care to not make them too fine as they become too soggy if you do that)
- Put the carrots and cold milk together on the stove in a big kadai (putting it together and the milk being cold is very important or else the milk may start to curdle)
- Simmer cook it, stirring often and let it cook till the carrots are about half done.
- Add sugar and ghee to it... this point of time carrots will leave a lot of water, so let it dry. By the time water dries, the carrot will be almost cooked.
- Let it simmer for another 10 mins or so.
- Add the khoya and dry fruits (fried in ghee) to it and roast for about 10 mins on low heat.
- Serve hot.
Khoya is actually optional in a gajarka halwa but I always make it with khoya since that is how it was always made at home. If you are skipping the khoya, please increase the milk to 1:1 ratio with carrot.
Looks delicious Monika
Happy Holi to u too Mons 🙂
Enjoy the family time 😉
Mouth-watering Gajar ka halwa !!! Now, you are tempting me to do it. Its my daughter’s fav !!! 🙂
Happy holi to you too !!!
in dubai we only have those orange gajar (whole thru the year).. the red ones are sweet hv quite diff taste. anyways, this dish will always remain one of my fav’s..
Happy holi monika 🙂 may ur gujia’s turn great.
Happy Holi to you all too M!!
Enjoy this colorful time..
and thanks for reminding me of gajar halwa..we usually get those faded orange carrots only and seeing them i am never motivated to make halwa. But now I am tempted. Perhaps a gud idea for holi and hubby’s bday 🙂
Send me the gujia recipe if you get one. i love them and really want to make them.
Mmmmmmmm…..me wants some tooooooo…. I just made gulab-jamun today btw 🙂 as a friend’s family is coming to dinner!! Yay!! Abt the ‘three of us world’ I completely understand your sentiments.. I had first lived in a joint family post-marriage, and then moving to a nuclear one was like going to heaven 🙂
Happy Holi, Monika! And that gajar ka halwa looks good enough to die for! I always had a tough time with it because we don’t get Khoya here. Btw, I used to get Khoya in Foodworld when I was in Blore. Here – no such luck. But will try your microwave recipe for sure. It would be great to surprise husband with it 🙂 Although we just get orange carrots here, it will still be nice 🙂
Yummy Monika…delicious!!!! Happy Holi to u and your family 🙂 Have a colourful one! Lked the disclaimer bit in the end too 😉
Happy Holi to you Monika…
We are making bhaang at home.. so thats gonna be alotta fun I guess 🙂 and obviously I shall drink a lot of it… is healthy too!
This winters I did not make any gajar-ka-halwa – it was sent by my mom each time 🙂 Now I am calling her to find out when is she making it next 🙂 Or maybe this time I will send some to her for Holi.
Gosh I want gujhiyas too ….!!!
oh man.. I LOVE gajjar ka halwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
n i love that neat holi ke rang ki cart… 🙂
thanks ritu
thank u thank u darling
same pinch to her uma 🙂
yeah same in blore… only from the past 2 yrs we are getting some red carrots here else the halwa used to be send from home in winters 😉
i did make them tara but they are just ok ok something is missing somewhere
yeah i know what u mean but something is better than nothing girl go make it
he he isnt it so relaxing and stress free 😉
yeah i know we do it here too sometimes and sometimes no luck… try and tell me did u like it?
LOL the disclaimer is getting all the attention 😉
wow i should have invited myself over,,, making bhang at home awesome
LOL mom’s are such a blessing arent they
come over mandy i made some 🙂
thanks dear
yum yum yum…btw the rajma turned out brilliant!
youve been tagged ..come and collect it!
oooh! the halwa looks awesome!!
and the threesome time sounds good too! even Cubby’s Amma has gone on chhutti for her daughter’s wedding and i am going crazy trying to work from home and manage everything else! so all the folks who manage it without any help are awesome! 🙂
hope you had a fun holi!
cheers!
yeah i saw the tag the date of the contest is over unfortunately but I think I will still do it 😀
thanks dear
and so glad for the rajma
yeah some days and we go mad… how do these guys ever manage?
Thanks for the recipe of the famous Gajar Ka Halwa…will try it next winter. Its time for Panah now 🙂
Am making this tday using your recipe 🙂 Nice blog look!
Decided to torture myself with this 🙂
And just thought I would scroll upwards and what do I find, there is comment from me… but I don’t remember reading this blog, let alone reading this recipe. But that comment is mine no doubt, and my mom’s bringing me gajjar ka halwa again today!
There are some things which better remain untouched Gajar Ka Halwa is one such. No I cannot accept Indian Carrot Pudding as a substitute for Gajar Ka Halwa. I would dare to correct you on the fact that there is perhaps no Indian who would not have had Gajar Ka Halwa. This is my fav too