Gajar Ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding (gluten-free)

Gajar ka Halwa is an Indian Carrot Pudding that is made during the festival season, especially Diwali. It’s perfect with a cup of masala chai.

What is Gajar ka Halwa?

Gajar ka Halwa in English translates to “Carrot Pudding”. This Indian Carrot Pudding is also known as Gajrela (Carrot Halwa) that’s super easy to make. Gajar Halwa is prepared with ghee, carrots, milk, sugar, cardamom, and nuts. This is a Punjabi dessert that is widely popular in North India, especially during the winter months and Diwali season. This nutritious Gajrela recipe can be enjoyed both hot or cold. I personally love my Gajrela Halwa warm.

There are many different ways of preparing Gajar ka Halwa, some make it with evaporated milk while others use condensed milk. My version uses whole milk which is how my mom has been making it for as long as I can remember. For this sweet dessert, you can go as crazy as you want with ghee and sugar, however for my version I use 2 tbsp of ghee with a minimal amount of sugar needed. Additionally, this halwa is an excellent source of Vitamin A.

Can I make Gajrela Vegan?

I know many of you are going to ask. 🙂 My response – yes and no. You can certainly replace whole milk with cashew milk. Gajrela is delicious with cashew milk as seen in my Paleo Gajar ka Halwa. With that said, you need ghee for that richness and nutty flavor you can’t possibly get with oil. My response to this question is that you can go partially vegan with this recipe.

Can I use butter instead of ghee to make Gajar ka Halwa?

Yes, you can, but it won’t taste as amazing. 🙂 Here – I’ve even tested a recipe here – I wasn’t too happy with the result – this is an old post. With that said, my Paleo Gajar ka Halwa turned out really good, however I did use ghee since ghee is paleo-approved. For the paleo version, I replaced sugar with coconut sugar.

Since my recipe only uses about two tablespoons of ghee, I highly recommend using ghee. You can cut it down to one tablespoon of ghee if you wish. Ghee just adds a certain richness and nuttiness that butter just can’t compete.

6 Ingredients you will need for Gajar ka Halwa:

Carrots: You need to grate the carrots and make sure you use the fine (thinner) side of the grater.

Ghee: This recipe uses a total of 2 tablespoons of ghee, divided. Please don’t use butter for this recipe, the taste is simply not the same.

Milk: I recommend using whole milk for this recipe, however if you want to cut down on some fat, you may also use reduced-fat 2% milk. 

Sugar: I don’t like overly sweet desserts, so I used just the right amount of sugar in this recipe. Also remember, carrots are naturally sweet.

Cardamom Powder: A touch of cardamom powder goes a long way. You can make some in a coffee grinder, or you can easily find some at Whole Foods. 

Cashews: Chop some cashews and this will be added towards the end of the recipe.

Gajar ka Halwa is:

Decadent
Delicious
Flavorful
Gluten-Free
Nutritious
Perfect for Festivals
Paleo (replace sugar with coconut sugar, here is my Paleo Gajar ka Halwa recipe)

How to make Gajar ka Halwa recipe step by step?

1. Peel the carrots. Shred the carrots using the smaller side of the shredder. You can do it by hand or use a food processor.
2. Heat a wok on medium heat, once hot, add 1 tbsp of ghee.
3. Add the carrots and saute for about 8 minutes until the color of the carrots changes.
4. Keep stirring to avoid burning. This is a labor of love.

5. Add milk to the carrots. Cook the carrots and milk down for 6-7 minutes until all the milk is absorbed by the carrots.
6. Keep stirring to avoid sticking and burning.
7. Once all the milk is absorbed, this is what you should have.

8. Add the sugar.
9. Immediately after, add 1 more tbsp of ghee.
10. Keep stirring. until all the water is absorbed which is left behind by the sugar. This process will take about 5-6 minutes.

11. Once done, add cardamom powder. Stir.
12. Add chopped cashews. You can also add almonds, pistachios, and raisins, however I just stick with cashews.
13. Mix well.
14. Dry roast the Carrot Pudding for a couple more minutes so the color of the carrots deepens slightly. Turn off the stove.

Enjoy with a cup of Kadak Masala Chai!

More Indian Desserts

• Ras Malai Mousse
• Rice Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding
• Rose Water Almond Cake
• Healthy Almond Date Ladoo
• Milk Peda

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Gajar ka Halwa - Indian Carrot Pudding

Gajar ka Halwa is an Indian Carrot Pudding that is made during the festival season, especially Diwali. It's perfect with a cup of masala chai.

4.93 from 14 votes

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Eggless

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Nisha

Equipment

Stainless Steel Wok

Ingredients

for Gajar ka Halwa

• 2 tbsp ghee divided (1 tbsp and 1 tbsp)
• 4 cups organic carrots peeled & shredded
• 1 1/2 cups organic whole milk
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup cashews unsalted chopped

for garnish

• 1 tbsp pistachios chopped

Instructions

• Peel the carrots. Shred the carrots using the smaller side of the shredder. You can do it by hand or use a food processor.
• Heat a wok on medium heat, once hot, add 1 tbsp of ghee.
• Add the carrots and saute for about 8 minutes until the color of the carrots changes.
• Keep stirring to avoid burning. This is a labor of love.
• Add milk to the carrots. Cook the carrots and milk down for 6-7 minutes until all the milk is absorbed by the carrots.
• Keep stirring to avoid sticking and burning.
• Once all the milk is absorbed, this is what you should have.
• Add the sugar.
• Immediately after, add 1 more tbsp of ghee.
• Keep stirring. until all the water is absorbed which is left behind by the sugar. This process will take about 5-6 minutes.
• Once done, add cardamom powder. Stir.
• Add chopped cashews. You can also add almonds, pistachios, and raisins, however I just stick with cashews.
• Mix well.
• Dry roast the Gajar ka Halwa for a couple more minutes so the color of the carrots deepens slightly.
• Enjoy with a cup of my Kadak Masala Chai.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 656mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 21532IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2mg

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