Gajar ka Halwa (Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding)

Studded with chopped nuts and flavored with aromatic cardamom and rose water, this sweet Indian pudding is made from a blend of nutty ghee, milk, cream, sugar, and grated carrot. It's equally good served either hot or cold. This recipe first appeared as part of the digital edition of our August/September 2014 special India issue.

  • Serves

    serves 4

Ingredients

  • 12 cup ghee
  • 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 14 cup heavy cream
  • 1 12 tsp. ground green cardamom
  • 12 tsp. rose water
  • 2 tbsp. golden raisins
  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped cashews
  • 1 tbsp. roughly chopped almonds
  • 1 tsp. minced pistachios

Instructions

Step 1

Melt 1⁄3 cup ghee in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; stir in carrots. Add milk; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and sauce is thickened, 30–35 minutes. Stir in sugar, cream, cardamom, and rose water; cook until sugar is dissolved and halwa is thick, about 25 minutes.

Step 2

Melt remaining ghee in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat; cook raisins, cashews, and almonds until raisins are plump and nuts are lightly toasted, 3–4 minutes. Stir mixture into halwa and garnish with pistachios; serve at room temperature.
  1. Melt 1⁄3 cup ghee in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; stir in carrots. Add milk; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and sauce is thickened, 30–35 minutes. Stir in sugar, cream, cardamom, and rose water; cook until sugar is dissolved and halwa is thick, about 25 minutes.
  2. Melt remaining ghee in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat; cook raisins, cashews, and almonds until raisins are plump and nuts are lightly toasted, 3–4 minutes. Stir mixture into halwa and garnish with pistachios; serve at room temperature.
Recipes

Gajar ka Halwa (Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding)

  • Serves

    serves 4

Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding (Gajar ka Halwa)
INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

Studded with chopped nuts and flavored with aromatic cardamom and rose water, this sweet Indian pudding is made from a blend of nutty ghee, milk, cream, sugar, and grated carrot. It's equally good served either hot or cold. This recipe first appeared as part of the digital edition of our August/September 2014 special India issue.

Ingredients

  • 12 cup ghee
  • 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 14 cup heavy cream
  • 1 12 tsp. ground green cardamom
  • 12 tsp. rose water
  • 2 tbsp. golden raisins
  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped cashews
  • 1 tbsp. roughly chopped almonds
  • 1 tsp. minced pistachios

Instructions

Step 1

Melt 1⁄3 cup ghee in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; stir in carrots. Add milk; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and sauce is thickened, 30–35 minutes. Stir in sugar, cream, cardamom, and rose water; cook until sugar is dissolved and halwa is thick, about 25 minutes.

Step 2

Melt remaining ghee in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat; cook raisins, cashews, and almonds until raisins are plump and nuts are lightly toasted, 3–4 minutes. Stir mixture into halwa and garnish with pistachios; serve at room temperature.
  1. Melt 1⁄3 cup ghee in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; stir in carrots. Add milk; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and sauce is thickened, 30–35 minutes. Stir in sugar, cream, cardamom, and rose water; cook until sugar is dissolved and halwa is thick, about 25 minutes.
  2. Melt remaining ghee in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat; cook raisins, cashews, and almonds until raisins are plump and nuts are lightly toasted, 3–4 minutes. Stir mixture into halwa and garnish with pistachios; serve at room temperature.

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