Simple Indian Recipes...
Delicious and healthy dishes that can be made even by first timers.

Carrot Halwa

 Published 2008-Jan-08   Updated 2020-Jun-04

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Gajar Ka Halwa)

In my favorite TV series, the heroine is pregnant and her handsome hubby in the show wants to give her the best pregnancy stint. He is cutely and earnestly making all the efforts to keep his wife super happy. This scene is seriously one thing that happens in both reel and real life. Every woman undergoes a series of changes during pregnancy and each woman’s craving is totally unique. When I knew that I was expecting, I thought I would have craving for all tangy chaat items like paani puri, Bhel pooris etc but on the contrary I started craving for sweets. I felt like eating kesari, gulab jamun, wheat halwa, Gajar ka halwa and many more. All my near and dear ones would keep making some sweet or the other. Among all the sweets, I had the craziest craving for Gajar ka halwa or Carrot halwa.

According to Wikipedia Gajar ka Halwa was first introduced during the mughal period and the name originates from Arabic word “Halwa”, that means sweet. And it is made from Gajar or carrot, so the name Gajar ka halwa. Carrot halwa is made predominantly in the winter season maybe because carrots are fresher and more abundantly available. Carrot halwa also has a moderate shelf life. It can be stored in refrigerator for almost 2 weeks and can be relished. When we were living in Baroda our house owner aunty would make a big container of this delicacy and every now and then they would warm small amounts and relish it. It would just taste out of the world. Carrot halwa is made during festivals like diwali, holi, Eid and even Raksha bandhan. Unlike other desserts Gajar ka halwa is a low calorie nutritious dessert with less fat. Since the main ingredients are carrot and milk, the nutritive quotient of the dish is also high. As I compile the recipe for all of you, my taste buds are lingering to eat a small amount. So, set out and make this yummy, delicious, mouth watering Gajar ka halwa. Cheers!!!

Recipe For Carrot Halwa

Preparation time: 15 minutes 
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • Carrots - 2 cups (app. 4 carrots)
  • Milk - 2 cups
  • Sugar - 1 cup
  • Ghee - 2 tbsp
  • Nuts & Raisins - 1/4 cup (Almonds &/ Cashews)
  • Cardamon - 2 (crushed or use 1/4 tsp cardamom powder)

Method

  1. Wash, peel the carrots and grate them.
  2. Heat ghee in a small pan, roast the nuts and raisins in it.
  3. Heat milk in another heavy bottomed pan and add the grated carrot to it.
  4. Cover partially and cook it on medium flame. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom.
  5. After about 15-20 minutes, when all the milk is absorbed, add required sugar.
  6. After about 10 minutes the oil starts getting separated from the halwa. At this stage add cardamom powder, fried nuts and raisins and 1 tbsp of ghee.
  7. Mix for another minute and switch off.

Detailed Steps to make Carrot Halwa

Wash and peel the carrots and grate them or grind them. Grating leaves some texture to the carrot at the end but grinding is equally good too.

Heat the ghee in a small pan and fry the nuts and raisins in it.

Carrot Halwa Preperation Step

Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and add the carrot to it.

Carrot Halwa Preperation Step

Cook it on medium flame, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom. After about 15-20 minutes, when all the milk is absorbed by the carrot, add sugar and stir continuously.

Carrot Halwa Preperation Step

After few minutes the oil starts getting separated from the halwa. Now add cardamom powder, fried nuts and raisins and 1 tbsp of ghee. Mix for another minute before switching off.

Carrot Halwa Preperation Step

Tips

  • To make cardamon powder, grind it with little sugar to get a fine powder.

Variation

  • Since the traditional method of stirring is a little time consuming, we can alternatively cook in pressure cooker. After step 4, the carrot milk mixture can be pressure cooked for one whistle. The recipe can then be continued in the same way as the traditional method.

Serving Carrot Halwa

  • When serving carrot halwa for parties or get together, warm carrot halwa can be served with cold vanilla ice cream.

More Carrot Recipes

Purple Carrot Poriyal Purple Carrot Poriyal Carrot Curry Carrot Curry Carrot Rasam Carrot Rasam Dahi ke Kebab Broccoli Carrot Vada
See more carrot dishes...


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Comments (47)

Person   ()
Please visit https://gheestore.in to buy pure ghee and cold pressed oil
Person   ()
Sure. Thank You.
Person   ()
I like this yummy and delicious food, thnaks for sharing.
Person   ()
Thank you.
Person   ()
Carrot halwa is something no one can say no to. But it takes much time to cook. Thank you for sharing this simple carrot halwa recipe which will take less time to make it and serve it hot.
Person   ()
Thank you. I am a big fan of carrot halwa too.
Person   ()
supper
Person   ()
Thank You.
Person   ()
excellent recipe
Person   ()
Thank you.
Person   ()
Yummy
Person   ()
Thank you.
Person   ()
Nice dish..yummy Thanks for sharing
Person   ()
I am glad you liked it.
Person   ()
this is a very simple method. and colour full and yummy tasty.
Person   ()
Enjoy :-)
Person   ()
Nice tips and yummy taste
Person   ()
Thank You.
Person   ()
Woooww yummy taste
Person   ()
:-)
Person   ()
It is very easy. Tks
Person   ()
Try and enjoy!!
Person   ()
From Afghanistan, omg it was so delicious !

Thanks for the recipe .
Person   ()
I never knew that making halwa is so easy.. It was amazing ..thank you so much for sharing this wonderfull recipe :)
Person   ()
Yes rash... try it and give your feedback..
Person   ()
nic dish Enter text right here!
Person   ()
Thank You.
Person   ()
Thank u so much making it by easy way to understand .....I made it without milk i felt that also gives different taste and can store for more than 3 to 5 days too ♥ ♥ ♥
Person   ()
Yes. Milk adds a very unique flavour and texture to the halwa... Of course you can make without it too...
Person   ()
the carrots take really long to cook in the milk so i pressure cook it ...came out well thanks for the recipe
Person   ()
Yes thats true.... Yes you can pressure cook or even microwave it to speeden the process.
Person   ()
I will try any way this is very useful to me because my hubby loves sweet too much.
Person   ()
Hm. good.. try it... do try the other desserts too..
Person   ()
delicious sweet.
i love it.
Person   ()
Thank You.
Person   ()
Delicious sweet.
i love it.
Person   ()
I like to much sweet,i c yor ceret halwa recipi ill try to mak,thans 4 recip
Person   ()
Try it and give your feedback.
Person   ()
Delicious dish
Person   ()
thank you.
Person   ()
thanks very good
Person   ()
nice dish
Person   ()
Thank you.
Person   ()
I will try
Person   ()
good dish
Person   ()
Thank You.
Person   ()
very nice i tried it i enjoyed it

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Old Comments

Comment by lalith shivanna
can we use butter in place of ghee
 
Reply :-
Yes you can.

Comment by teri stich stich
In this recipe for Carrot Halwa the amount of Cardamon is cut off so I don't know how much or if it's the powder or buds. Can you clarify please
 
Reply :-
You can use either crush 2 cardamom pods and use it or use 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder.

Comment by Kokila Perumal on 04 April 2010 03:07AM
Hi Dahlia, Iam a beginner and i wanted to try a sweet. this sounded simple and easy.. tried it and everyone at home liked it.. they wouldn't say otherwise!! thanks for the receipe :)
Will definitely do this :)
 
Reply :-
Hi Kokila, Nice to hear that your family members loved it. Keep trying different recipes confidently and soon you will become an expert cook.

 Published by on and last updated on 2020-06-04.