Gajar Halwa
INDIAN · INDIA

Gajar Halwa

गाजर का हलवाDessert

Slow-cooked grated carrots collapsing into ghee, milk and sugar until the whole pot smells like cardamom and toasted dairy. This is the North Indian winter classic, and it is unapologetically rich.

Total
75 min
Heat
0/5
Serves
6

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Flavour profile

Heat
Funk
Acid
Richness
Umami
  • Creamy
  • Nutty
  • Savoury
  • Sweet

The real deal

Region
North India, especially Punjab and Delhi, where it is made when the red winter carrots arrive.
Technique
Grating and cooking the carrots down slowly in ghee and full-fat milk until almost dry, then sweetening and finishing with ghee-fried nuts.
We kept
Full-fat milk, ghee, green cardamom, khoya and a generous amount of sugar, cooked until the halwa pulls away from the pan.

Ingredients

6 Serves

halwa

  • 1 kg · preferably red Delhi carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 5 tbsp
  • 750 ml
  • 8 · pods, seeds crushed
  • 200 g
  • 150 g · optional · crumbled, at room temperature

Garnish

  • 30 g · optional · blanched and slivered
  • 30 g · optional · split in half
  • 25 g · optional

Method

  1. Peel and coarsely grate the . Red Delhi carrots give the deepest colour and sweetness, but any firm orange carrot works. You should end up with a big pile that fills the pan right to the top.

    Do not use the fine side of the grater, the carrots should still have a little bite.

  2. Crack the pods and crush the seeds to a coarse powder. Discard the husks.

  3. Melt 4 tbsp in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the grated carrots and stir to coat. Cook for 10 min, stirring often, until the raw smell goes and the carrots turn glossy and deepen in colour.

    A wide pan matters, the mixture has to dry out, a deep narrow pot just steams the carrots.

  4. Pour in the and bring to a gentle bubble. Lower the heat and simmer for 25 min, stirring every few minutes, until the milk has almost completely disappeared and the carrots are soft and jammy.

    Keep stirring towards the end, milk catches and scorches fast once it thickens.

  5. Stir in the and the crushed . The mixture will loosen as the sugar melts. Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15 min until it thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.

    Taste a spoonful now, if your carrots are very sweet you can get away with a little less sugar next time.

  6. Crumble in the and fold it through. Cook for another 5 min, stirring, until the halwa is glossy, thick and leaves a clean trail behind the spoon.

    No khoya? Skip it, the halwa will be less rich but still excellent.

  7. Heat a small pan with the remaining 1 tbsp over medium heat. Fry the and until pale gold, then add the and pull the pan off the heat the moment they puff.

    Raisins burn in seconds, have the halwa ready before you start frying.

  8. Spoon the halwa into bowls, scatter the fried nuts and raisins over the top and serve warm. It also eats beautifully cold the next day, straight from the fridge with a spoon.

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Make it a meal

What hits hardest next to it.

  • DrinkLightHerby

    Cuts through the dense ghee and milk richness so you can go back for another spoon.

    Try: Hot cardamom or masala chai, unsweetened

    Nothing on the site fits yet. Ask the Lab to cook one up →

  • SnackCrunchy

    A salty, crisp counterpoint to the sweet, soft halwa on the same plate.

    Try: Flaky namak para or plain roasted papad

    From our kitchen