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by Monika

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Gajar Ka Halwa – Indian Style Carrot Pudding

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!

Gajar Ka Halwa

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? πŸ™‚

Gajar Halwa

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!

Black Carrot Halwa

Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achaar

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.

Gajar Halwa Recipe

Gajar Ka Halwa

Gajar Ka Halwa made from carrots, milk, khoya and sugar is such a fantastic must-have winter dessert dish!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 kg Carrots red
  • 500 ml milk cold
  • 250 gms khoya
  • 1/2 cup sugar please adjust to taste, we like less sugar in our halwa
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 cup dry fruits mixed

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Notes

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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Desserts// Festivals/Holidays// Heirloom Recipes// Indian Desserts// Indian Festivals// Kid-Friendly// Ma's Recipes// Seasonal Recipes// Winter Recipes32 Comments

« Easy Chicken Salad with Cranberry and Quinoa
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Comments

  1. Phoenixritu says

    February 26, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    Looks delicious Monika

    Reply
  2. Swaram says

    February 26, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Happy Holi to u too Mons πŸ™‚
    Enjoy the family time πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  3. umsreflections says

    February 26, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    Mouth-watering Gajar ka halwa !!! Now, you are tempting me to do it. Its my daughter’s fav !!! πŸ™‚

    Happy holi to you too !!!

    Reply
  4. Tara says

    February 26, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    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 πŸ™‚ may ur gujia’s turn great.

    Reply
  5. Life Begins says

    February 26, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    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 πŸ™‚
    Send me the gujia recipe if you get one. i love them and really want to make them.

    Reply
  6. Writerzblock says

    February 26, 2010 at 7:36 pm

    Mmmmmmmm…..me wants some tooooooo…. I just made gulab-jamun today btw πŸ™‚ 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 πŸ™‚

    Reply
  7. Smitha says

    February 26, 2010 at 11:54 pm

    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 πŸ™‚ Although we just get orange carrots here, it will still be nice πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. homecooked says

    February 27, 2010 at 2:38 am

    Yummy Monika…delicious!!!! Happy Holi to u and your family πŸ™‚ Have a colourful one! Lked the disclaimer bit in the end too πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  9. Aathira says

    February 27, 2010 at 12:46 pm

    Happy Holi to you Monika…

    We are making bhaang at home.. so thats gonna be alotta fun I guess πŸ™‚ and obviously I shall drink a lot of it… is healthy too!

    Reply
  10. Indian Homemaker says

    February 27, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    This winters I did not make any gajar-ka-halwa – it was sent by my mom each time πŸ™‚ Now I am calling her to find out when is she making it next πŸ™‚ Or maybe this time I will send some to her for Holi.

    Gosh I want gujhiyas too ….!!!

    Reply
  11. mandira says

    March 1, 2010 at 9:27 am

    oh man.. I LOVE gajjar ka halwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  12. mandira says

    March 1, 2010 at 9:29 am

    n i love that neat holi ke rang ki cart… πŸ™‚

    Reply
  13. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    thanks ritu

    Reply
  14. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    thank u thank u darling

    Reply
  15. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    same pinch to her uma πŸ™‚

    Reply
  16. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:37 pm

    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 πŸ˜‰

    i did make them tara but they are just ok ok something is missing somewhere

    Reply
  17. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:37 pm

    yeah i know what u mean but something is better than nothing girl go make it

    Reply
  18. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    he he isnt it so relaxing and stress free πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  19. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    yeah i know we do it here too sometimes and sometimes no luck… try and tell me did u like it?

    Reply
  20. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    LOL the disclaimer is getting all the attention πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  21. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:40 pm

    wow i should have invited myself over,,, making bhang at home awesome

    Reply
  22. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:40 pm

    LOL mom’s are such a blessing arent they

    Reply
  23. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:40 pm

    come over mandy i made some πŸ™‚

    Reply
  24. monikamanchanda says

    March 1, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    thanks dear

    Reply
  25. Munchkin's Mom says

    March 2, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    yum yum yum…btw the rajma turned out brilliant!

    youve been tagged ..come and collect it!

    Reply
  26. Abha says

    March 3, 2010 at 10:21 am

    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! πŸ™‚

    hope you had a fun holi!

    cheers!

    Reply
  27. monikamanchanda says

    March 3, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    yeah i saw the tag the date of the contest is over unfortunately but I think I will still do it πŸ˜€

    thanks dear

    and so glad for the rajma

    Reply
  28. monikamanchanda says

    March 3, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    yeah some days and we go mad… how do these guys ever manage?

    Reply
  29. Reema says

    March 15, 2010 at 10:19 pm

    Thanks for the recipe of the famous Gajar Ka Halwa…will try it next winter. Its time for Panah now πŸ™‚

    Reply
  30. Munchkin's Mom says

    July 1, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Am making this tday using your recipe πŸ™‚ Nice blog look!

    Reply
  31. Indian Homemaker says

    January 18, 2012 at 9:09 am

    Decided to torture myself with this πŸ™‚
    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!

    Reply
  32. anindya0909 says

    January 30, 2018 at 6:14 am

    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

    Reply

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About the Author

Monika is an ex-IT person turned into a food blogger, consultant, home baker and an amateur food photographer. She loves music, writing, food, and travel, but not necessarily in that order ;)

Sin-A-Mon Tales is a canvas for her food memories. Apart from Sin -A- Mon Tales, Monika also writes for many online websites and publications. She's an avid reader and can always be found with a book in her bag, which mostly is as bright as her. She's an obsessive traveler and is always looking for the next food story. Read More…

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