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April 26, 2020 21 Comments

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

Gajar Ka Halwa recipe with step by step photos which is also known as Gajrela, an Indian Carrot Pudding made during Diwali season. It’s perfect with a cup of masala chai.
Gajar Ka Halwa - Indian Carrot Pudding (gluten-free)

What is Gajar ka Halwa?

Gajar ka Halwa also known as Gajrela is an Indian Carrot Pudding that’s 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 can be enjoyed both or cold, I personally love my Gajrela hot.

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

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

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

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

Gajar ka Halwa - Indian Carrot Pudding (gluten-free)

Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Eggless
Gajar ka Halwa also known as Gajrela or Indian Carrot Pudding is an Indian dessert often made during the winter months and Diwali.
4.91 from 10 votes
Author: Nisha
Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 333 kcal

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 656mgFiber: 4gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 21532IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Carrots, Diwali
Tried this recipe?Mention @honeywhatscooking or tag #honeywhatscooking

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Rice Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding (6 ingredients, gluten-free) Ras Malai Mousse (eggless, 7 ingredients, gluten-free) Healthier Gajar Ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding (healthier dessert, gluten-free) Milk Peda | Doodh Peda (gluten-free, 5 ingredients)

Filed Under: 10 Ingredients or less, Cardamom, Carrots, Dessert, Diwali, Eggless Desserts, Gluten-Free, Holi, Indian, Indian, Milk, Recipes, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Tagged With: Recipes

Previous Post: « Mughlai Shahi Paneer (no cream, no ghee, no butter, gluten-free)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    November 6, 2010 at 10:12 pm

    This looks delicious!!! I love recipes that highlight the sweet side of carrots.

    Reply
  2. Torviewtoronto says

    November 7, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    delicious yummy dessert
    happy diwali
    check out the event in my site

    Reply
  3. Mehnaz Kapadia says

    November 18, 2010 at 8:10 am

    Aww! This is yummmmm!! Gona def try it!!

    Reply
  4. Maharet says

    December 4, 2011 at 4:59 am

    i just had about 2 tbls of this at an indian restaurant today. i wanted to go back and gobble down the whole tray at the buffet. NEVER new carrots could be this incredibly delicious. i'm saving your recipe. thx!!!

    Reply
  5. honeywhatscooking says

    December 4, 2011 at 5:42 am

    @Maharet – Yes, carrots are actually sweet and make great desserts (carrot cake, too). Glad you enjoyed the dish, it's pretty rich, my version is probably a lot more toned down in fat, but still somewhat fatty. 🙂

    Reply
  6. rainz says

    April 18, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    I tried making this and it came out excellent. it tasted really good!! the only problem i had was that the milk took toooooo long to evaporate (longer than what it looked like in your pictures) and my halwa turned into mush. I know that usually we would still be able to feel bites of carrot in the halwa, like in ur end result picture, but mine was totally mush (still tasted amazing though)! i followed your recipe to the T. where did i go wrong? maybe add in a lil more carrots?? oh, and instead of using 2% milk, i used full fat, as I had run out of 2%..

    Reply
  7. honeywhatscooking says

    April 18, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    @rainz – honestly, that sounds right. It should sort of look like mush, the carrots soften up, but you shouldn't have a real bite to the carrots. By step #10 – is that how yours looked? If so, then it sounds okay to me. 🙂

    Reply
  8. rainz says

    April 18, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    I guess it did look the same. Yours just looks so much more glam! 🙂 And your color turned out much darker than mine, but i guess that depends on the carrots used.
    Nonetheless, it tastes amazing! 🙂 Thnx!

    Reply
  9. honeywhatscooking says

    April 18, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    @rainz – well, I also plated my halwa in a nice bowl and took a picture of it under broad daylight which helps. 🙂 You're being too hard on yourself. Yes, the color of carrots is different. I know in India the carrots are dark orange.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    October 6, 2013 at 2:53 am

    I tried it with butter as I did not have ghee and it turned out amazing! My husband love gajar ka halwa but unfortunately I dont have a food processor yet and hand grating them is a pain(quite literally)-shireen

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      October 14, 2013 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks.. so glad you liked it. Yes, grating can be pretty time consuming. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Susan says

    April 26, 2020 at 12:11 am

    5 stars
    So on point and delicious!!

    Reply
  12. Roopa says

    April 26, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    5 stars
    I made your Gajar ka halwa today. It was Yummm ??

    Reply
  13. Poonam says

    April 27, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this today! It was delicious! My husband can’t stop eating it! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Palak says

    April 28, 2020 at 1:48 am

    5 stars
    This tasted so good! It doesn’t need much ghee either. Can’t stop eating.

    Reply
  15. Chaitra says

    April 28, 2020 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    I have been preparing Gajar ka halwa in a cooker all My life and it was never satisfying. Now I know wat was wrong ?. I exactly copied ur recipe. Nd oh my my it was a hit. Perfection??

    Reply
  16. Shefali Patel says

    April 29, 2020 at 11:15 pm

    5 stars
    This is my go to website for everything. This recipe is delightfully flavorful . My whole family enjoyed it since it was creamy and didn’t feel heavy. Delicious !

    Reply
  17. Rekha says

    May 4, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    Definitely the best gajar ka halwa I have ever made and tasted. This was an absolute hit with my family. Thanks Nisha!

    Reply
  18. Rina says

    May 11, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    5 stars
    Followed the recipe and halwa was on point, so delicious &hearty! My family loved it, cant wait to make it during Diwali this year! 🧡🧡🧡 Thank you Nisha.

    Reply
  19. Diane Chehab says

    March 19, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    4 stars
    I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten this in ages – maybe a decade. And started craving it! Found your recipe, I made my own ghee as I forgot to buy some. The issue I had was, also, that the milk never got soaked up by the carrots. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep on cooking it (it was going on 15 mn) so I quickly added about a tsp of cornstarch that I had diluted in a bit of water. It helped the mixture solidify a little bit.
    End result tastes good, and it’s not too sweet. I added some raisins, as the cashews (IMHO) don’t add much flavor… just extra calories! I also added a tsp or so of orange blossom water as the cardamom tasted rather bitter.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      March 20, 2021 at 4:06 am

      Hmm.. sorry about that. Did you grate the carrots or did you buy shredded carrots? The milk should have been absorbed by the carrots. Thank you for your input. Glad it still tasted good.

      Reply

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