Gajar Ka Halwa
A rich Indian carrot pudding sweetened with condensed milk and ghee, studded with cashews and raisins. Warm, fragrant with cardamom, and naturally vegetarian.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 6g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb carrots, medium
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup cashews, raw
- ¼ cup raisins
- 4 whole green cardamom pods
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- 1
Peel the carrots by rubbing them under cool running water with your fingers to remove the orange skin, or use a vegetable peeler in downward strokes from the thick end to the tip.
- 2
Grate the peeled carrots on the largest holes of a box grater (the same size used for cheddar cheese) until you have fine, thread-like shreds. You should have about 4 cups.
- 3
Chop the cashews into pieces roughly the size of a grain of rice — small enough to be evenly distributed throughout the halwa.
- 4
Lightly crush the cardamom pods by pressing down on them with the flat side of a knife until the green hull just splits open, releasing the black seeds inside.
- 5
Pour 2 tablespoons of ghee into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and place it over medium-high heat until the ghee is fully melted and just begins to smoke slightly, about 1 minute.
- 6
Add the chopped cashews to the hot ghee and stir constantly for 1 minute until they turn light golden and smell fragrant and nutty — watch carefully so they don't burn.
- 7
Pour the grated carrots into the pot with the cashews and stir everything together for 30 seconds to coat the carrots in ghee.
- 8
Add the crushed cardamom pods, raisins, salt, and 1 cup of water to the pot and stir to combine everything evenly.
- 9
Turn the heat down to medium and stir the mixture once every 60 seconds for about 12–15 minutes, until the carrots are very soft when you press them against the side of the pot with a spoon and the liquid is nearly evaporated.
- 10
Pour in the condensed milk and 0.5 cup of whole milk, then stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until the mixture looks creamy, glossy, and darker in color (it will go from orange to a darker rust color).
- 11
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee until fully mixed in and the halwa looks shiny.
- 12
Spoon the warm halwa into serving bowls while it is still hot. The texture will thicken slightly as it cools.
Tools you’ll need
- vegetable peeler
- box grater
- knife and cutting board
- large heavy-bottomed pot (at least 3-quart capacity)
- wooden spoon for stirring
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