The winter classic. When the long red carrots arrive in the markets in December and January, every kitchen in Punjab makes a pot of gajar ka halwa: carrots slowly cooked down in milk, then roasted in desi ghee until the whole house smells of it. The ghee is what turns cooked carrots into halwa, so use the real thing.
Serves: 6 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: about 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 kg red carrots, washed, peeled and grated
- 1 litre full-cream milk
- ¾ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- 4–5 tbsp Dairy Gold Desi Ghee
- 5–6 green cardamoms, seeds crushed
- A handful of almonds and pistachios, sliced
- ½ cup khoya, crumbled (optional, for a richer halwa)
Method
- Put the grated carrots and milk in a heavy-bottomed pan or karahi and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the milk has almost completely dried up. This takes 45 minutes to an hour; scrape the sides and bottom so nothing sticks.
- Add the sugar. It will melt and make the mixture wet again; keep cooking and stirring until the moisture dries up once more.
- Add the ghee and crushed cardamom. Now bhuno: stir and roast on medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the halwa turns glossy, darker and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Stir in the khoya, if using, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Garnish with almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
Tips
- Use the deep red winter carrots for the best colour and sweetness. Orange carrots work too, but the halwa will be paler.
- Grate the carrots finely; thick shreds stay chewy.
- Do not rush the bhunai with ghee at the end. That last roasting is what gives halwa its shine and flavour.
- Add sugar only after the milk has dried, otherwise the carrots take much longer to soften.
Storing and reheating
Keep leftover halwa in a closed box in the fridge for 4–5 days. Warm it in a pan with a teaspoon of ghee, or in the microwave with a splash of milk.