Gajar Ka Halwa/Gajrela or Carrot Halwa (a sweet, creamy, rich pudding from Punjab, with the aromatic taste of cardamon) is a dessert that is a popular dish served at festivals. It is a warm dessert and is best enjoyed in winter. It is an easy dish with few ingredients but not a quick one (unless you use a pressure cooker). Like most halwas, it requires attention while cooking. Being a warm dish, it was a perfect dessert for cold winter days. The carrots in this recipe are regular store-bought carrots rather than the sought-after deep orange carrots normally found in wintertime in Northern India.
Gajar ka Halwa
Gajar ka Halwa is a creamy, rich dessert with the aromatic taste of cardamom.
Ingredients
- 10 medium carrots
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 whole green cardamom
- ¼ tsp fresh ground green cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 12 blanched almonds (save half for garnish)
Instructions
- Scrub the carrots with a vegetable brush and peel them.
- Using a hand grater or food processor, grate the carrots.
- Transfer the grated carrots, milk, and whipping cream into a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat. About 10 minutes.
- Add the whole cardamom and cardamom powder. Simmer on medium-low, occasionally stirring, until 75% of the milk is reduced. About 20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and golden raisins. Stir in half the nuts. Cook for another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, but the halwa is still moist.
- Carefully transfer the cooked dessert to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the nuts. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
You can use sautéed cashew nuts instead of almonds. If you are not sure of nut allergies when serving to guests, you can omit cooking the halwa with the nuts and just serve them on the side.
You can also garnish with silver foil to get that traditional, authentic feeling!