Gajar Halwa, Three Ways

Gajar Halwa, Three Ways

No North Indian winter is complete without a pot of gajar halwa — grated carrots slow-cooked in milk, ghee and sugar until glossy and rich. Carrots aren't native to India; they arrived through Afghanistan and took hold in Punjab, where the halwa is still often called gajrela. In India it's made with sweet, deep-red winter carrots. Lucknow has a rare black-carrot version, and Old Delhi has one made with white carrots.

US supermarket carrots are orange and a little less sweet, so the recipes below add a touch of milk powder or condensed milk for richness. Look for red "Delhi" carrots at Indian grocery stores in winter.

Serves: 6–8 · All three versions start with: 2 lb carrots (about 6 cups), peeled and finely grated

Way 1: Classic stovetop

Time: about 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups grated carrots
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk powder (or ¾ cup crumbled khoya)
• 4 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• Pinch of saffron (optional)
• ¼ cup cashews and almonds, chopped
• 2 tbsp raisins

Method

1. Toast the nuts. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the nuts and raisins until golden, then set aside.
2. Cook in milk. In the same pan, add the carrots and milk. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the milk is almost fully absorbed — 40–50 minutes.
3. Sweeten. Add the sugar and stir; the mixture will loosen. Cook until thick again, about 10 minutes.
4. Enrich. Add the remaining 3 tbsp ghee, the milk powder, cardamom and saffron. Stir-fry for 5–8 minutes until the halwa turns glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
5. Serve. Stir in most of the nuts and raisins and scatter the rest on top. Serve warm.

Way 2: Instant Pot (quick)

Time: about 35 minutes

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the nuts and raisins; remove and set aside.
2. Add the 6 cups grated carrots and 1 cup whole milk. Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
3. Switch back to Sauté. Add ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk (instead of sugar and milk powder) and ½ tsp cardamom. Stir constantly until the liquid evaporates and the halwa thickens, 10–12 minutes.
4. Stir in 1 more tbsp ghee and the nuts.

Way 3: Lighter

Time: about 1 hour

Make the stovetop version with these swaps:

• Use 2% milk instead of whole milk.
• Cut the ghee to 1 tbsp in total.
• Skip the milk powder.
• Replace the sugar with ⅓ cup grated jaggery or ½ cup finely chopped soft dates, added only after the milk has fully evaporated so the milk doesn't curdle.
• Top with toasted pistachios instead of fried nuts.

It will be less rich but still deeply flavourful. Serve in small cups.

Tips

• Grate finely. Use the small holes of a box grater or a food processor's grating disc for a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
• Use a heavy pan so the milk doesn't scorch, and stir from the bottom often.
• Make ahead. Halwa keeps for 4–5 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to a month. Warm it with a splash of milk before serving.
• Serving idea: Spoon warm halwa over vanilla ice cream for an easy holiday dessert.

Sources: Scroll.in: How halwa came to India · Scroll.in: Black and white carrot halwa · Curly Tales

No North Indian winter is complete without a pot of gajar halwa — grated carrots slow-cooked in milk, ghee and sugar until glossy and rich. Carrots aren't native to India; they arrived through Afghanistan and took hold in Punjab, where the halwa is still often called gajrela. In India it's made with sweet, deep-red winter carrots. Lucknow has a rare black-carrot version, and Old Delhi has one made with white carrots.

US supermarket carrots are orange and a little less sweet, so the recipes below add a touch of milk powder or condensed milk for richness. Look for red "Delhi" carrots at Indian grocery stores in winter.

Serves: 6–8 · All three versions start with: 2 lb carrots (about 6 cups), peeled and finely grated

Way 1: Classic stovetop

Time: about 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups grated carrots
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk powder (or ¾ cup crumbled khoya)
• 4 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• Pinch of saffron (optional)
• ¼ cup cashews and almonds, chopped
• 2 tbsp raisins

Method

1. Toast the nuts. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the nuts and raisins until golden, then set aside.
2. Cook in milk. In the same pan, add the carrots and milk. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the milk is almost fully absorbed — 40–50 minutes.
3. Sweeten. Add the sugar and stir; the mixture will loosen. Cook until thick again, about 10 minutes.
4. Enrich. Add the remaining 3 tbsp ghee, the milk powder, cardamom and saffron. Stir-fry for 5–8 minutes until the halwa turns glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
5. Serve. Stir in most of the nuts and raisins and scatter the rest on top. Serve warm.

Way 2: Instant Pot (quick)

Time: about 35 minutes

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the nuts and raisins; remove and set aside.
2. Add the 6 cups grated carrots and 1 cup whole milk. Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
3. Switch back to Sauté. Add ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk (instead of sugar and milk powder) and ½ tsp cardamom. Stir constantly until the liquid evaporates and the halwa thickens, 10–12 minutes.
4. Stir in 1 more tbsp ghee and the nuts.

Way 3: Lighter

Time: about 1 hour

Make the stovetop version with these swaps:

• Use 2% milk instead of whole milk.
• Cut the ghee to 1 tbsp in total.
• Skip the milk powder.
• Replace the sugar with ⅓ cup grated jaggery or ½ cup finely chopped soft dates, added only after the milk has fully evaporated so the milk doesn't curdle.
• Top with toasted pistachios instead of fried nuts.

It will be less rich but still deeply flavourful. Serve in small cups.

Tips

• Grate finely. Use the small holes of a box grater or a food processor's grating disc for a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
• Use a heavy pan so the milk doesn't scorch, and stir from the bottom often.
• Make ahead. Halwa keeps for 4–5 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to a month. Warm it with a splash of milk before serving.
• Serving idea: Spoon warm halwa over vanilla ice cream for an easy holiday dessert.

Sources: Scroll.in: How halwa came to India · Scroll.in: Black and white carrot halwa · Curly Tales