Gajar ka Halwa

Halwa is the most common form of Indian dessert, cooking with ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. The basic form of Halwa’s is flour-based loaded with ghee and sugar. But this is not a flour-based. Gajar ka Halwa is primarily made of shredded carrots (gajar). Often it’s made with milk solids (khoya) but I tweaked the recipe using some condensed milk.

Every year, I make Gajar ka Halwa either on Diwali day or I make it on new year’s eve. As carrots were earlier a winter veggie in India, it’s kind of entwined to my winter memories. So just like every other year, I made this wonderful dish for my Diwali feast and served with loads of love.

Ingredients for Gajar Ka Halwa:

1. Carrots – 3 large peeled and finely grated.
2. Clarified butter – 1/4 cup
3. Condensed Milk – 1/2 cup
4. Sugar – 1/4 cup
5. Cardamon – 1-2 , crushed or coarsely ground
6. Chopped cashew nuts and almonds – 1/2 cup

Steps of Preparations:

1. Heat a wide-bottomed frying pan, add the clarified butter.
2. Once the ghee is heated, add the grated carrots and saute.
3. Season the carrots with the crushed cardamom and stir.
4. Keep sauteing until the raw smell goes off and all the water dried off.
5. Then to the cooked carrots, add the sugar and condensed milk.
6. Keep stirring until all the liquid dries and the oil comes up.
7. Add the nuts and serve.