Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka halwa)

Carrot Halwa
(Gajar ka Halwa)

Carrot halwa is also known as Gajar ka halwa. It is one of the most popular traditional North Indian desserts. Gajar ka halwa is especially made during winter months when red carrots are available in abundance.

Gajar halwa is made with Red or Orange color grated carrots and milk or Khoya (ricotta cheese). Carrot halwa does not require much butter or ghee nor there is frying involved, so you can treat yourself with this sweet without feeling guilty. Gajar ka halwa can be served hot or cold as a dessert or a snack.

Carrot halwa is popular choice at most Indian weddings and other special celebrations, but you can enjoy this dish on any occasion or any time you like to eat sweet. There are various recipes to prepare carrot halwa. If you are watching your calories then use fat free ricotta Cheese or fat free milk, add some nuts and make it a healthy tasty dessert. You can make carrot halwa in advance and keep in the refrigerator for more than a week.

Ingredients:

3    Pounds carrots
1    Pound ricotta Cheese - full or part skim) or ½ gallon whole milk
(Ricotta cheese is a substitute for khoya )
3 Tablespoons Chopped almonds
2    Tablespoons Chopped pistachios
2    Tablespoons Chopped walnuts
1    Teaspoon cardamom seeds- Crushed
10 Strands of saffron
1¼ Cup of sugar or to your taste
2     Tablespoons melted sweet butter or ghee (optional)

Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter

Carrots (Gajjar)

Ricotta cheese

Almonds- chopped

Saffron

Pistachios - chopped

Cardamom seeds

Walnut- chopped

Butter-Melted

Directions:

1. Wash the carrots.

2. Chop the bottom and top off the carrots and with the peeler peel the skin off.

Wash the Carrots

Peel the skin off the carrots

3. Shred carrots in food processer or manually with the grater.

Shred Carrots

Shredded Carrots

4. Transfer the ricotta cheese from container to a bowl.

5. With a hand mixer whip the Cheese for 4 to 5 minutes or until Cheese becomes
smooth and fluffy. (You can use cheese without whipping but whipping make
the cheese smooth.)

Whip Ricotta cheese

Whipped Ricotta cheese

6. In a large frying pan or a saucepan add grated carrots and ricotta cheese or
milk.

In a pan add shredded carrots

Add whipped cheese in the carrots

7. Mix and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour while stirring
frequently and scraping down the sides of the pan. Grated carrots, cheese or
milk has lot of moisture, it takes some time to evaporate.

Mix cheese well with carrots

Cheese is mixed well

Cheese start melting

Keeping mixing & scraping the sides of pan

8. While Halwa is cooking in the Mortar and pestle add cardamom seeds and
saffron and crush.

In a mortar and pestle add cardamom seeds & saffron

Crush cardamon seeds & saffron

9. Once all the liquid has cooked away add crushed cardamom seeds and saffron
and mix and cook.

All the liquid is evaporated

Add crushed cardamom and saffron

Mix Cardamom & saffron well

10. Add sugar and mix with carrots. The Sugar will cause the carrots to take out
more liquid. Continue to cook on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until all
the liquid dry up, while stirring periodically. Sugar also gives the shiny color
to halwa.

Add sugar

Mix sugar well

11. Once liquid dries up, if you wish add 2 tablespoons of liquid sweet butter
or ghee and mix. Keep the Halwa little moist so that after Halwa cool down it
does not dry up.

All the liquid dried up

Add melted butter or ghee & mix

12. Add half of walnut, Almonds and pistachios cook for another 5 minutes, once
you start seeing the oil in the pan and side of the pan start cleaning turn the
stove off.

Add chopped nuts

Mix nuts well

Carrot Halwa is ready

13. Once halwa is cooked transfer it into a serving dish and garnish with
chopped almonds and chopped pistachios.

14. Serve halwa hot or cold or at room temperature.

Carrot Halwa

Carrot Halwa garnish with nuts

Tips:

1. Ricotta cheese is a substitute for Khoya. It is also known as Mawa. It is
   difficult to find khoya outside of India but you can substitute it with ricotta
   cheese.

2. Instead of ricotta cheese, ½ gallon whole milk could be used to make halwa.

3. If you are watching your calories use fat free cheese and sugar substitute.

4.  It is easier to shred carrots with shredder or food processer then grating
manually.

Shred Carrots in food processer

Shredded Carrots

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe..

Thank you..

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Besan ka halwa                                                    Rasgulla

Lauki ka halwa (Bottle gourd, Ghyia)               Gulab jamun

Sooji ka halwa (Cream of wheat)                       Carrot burfi (Gajar ki burfi)

Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa)

Carrot Halwa
(Gajar ka Halwa)