Carrot Halwa is a very loved and highly popular dessert served across India especially the northern parts. They are made with juicy red carrots that comes available in early fall in Northern India. My version here is a little different from the traditional version. The flavors of carrot halwa might be iconic but it is very simple to make and only uses 5 ingredients.
Carrots play a central role here due to their sweet, juicy flavor. They are also wonderful in oatmeal, casseroles, bowls , curry and gratins.
What is Halwa?
Halwa is a dessert or sweet dish from India where ingredients like flour, semolina, veggies including pumpkin, nuts like almonds, dates, chickpeas etc are sautéed in ghee and sugar until fully cooked. Apparently there is even an egg based halwa!
Halwa originated in the Middle East and found its way to India a few centuries ago. Originally ingredients like sesame and dates were used to make halwa. However today, we find an unparalleled variety of halwas in India .
There are different versions of the carrot halwa. In the most common version, we cook the carrots with milk along with ghee and sugar. You basically cook down the carrots in the milk until the milk has reduced by atleast half. A short cut that many people use, involves adding khoya(a reduced milk product) or condensed milk.The version you choose depends on how much time you want to spend cooking the halwa and also how rich you want it to be.
I take a slightly different approach here in that, I have completely omitted the milk. Instead of using khoya or condensed milk, I cook the grated carrots only in ghee along with sugar. This gives it a richer taste but does mean more decadence. However, halwa is a treat and as long as you enjoy it responsibly, this version will soon become your favorite!
FAQs - Carrot Halwa
Traditionally in India, we use red "Delhi" carrots to make the halwa since they are slightly sweeter and of course provide that characteristic red color. However people also prepare halwa with black carrots. The best place to find the red ones is an Indian or a well stocked grocery store that has a good produce section. I have found them in local chains like PCC here in the Seattle area around fall season.
However, you can absolutely use any carrots you have on hand and they will turn out delicious. Just make sure they are fresh carrots.
Ghee is typically used in most Indian sweets or desserts because it gives it such a unique and delicious taste that is truly unparalleled. However, if you don't want to use it, then try using unsalted regular or vegan butter. You can also try using a neutral flavored oil like avocado or canola oil. Please keep in mind, these substitutes will not result in the same flavors.
There are a couple of ways you can achieve this -
1. Make carrot halwa the traditional way using milk or plant based milk - In this version, we will add carrots to the milk and cook until most of the milk has reduced. As the carrots cook down, we will add a 3-4 tablespoons of ghee along with the sugar. Once the entire mixture has cooked down to a thick mixture. Add in the cardamom powder, roasted raisins and nuts.
2. You can start off by cooking the grated carrots in 1-2 tablespoons of ghee and maybe add another couple of spoons later on. So here, you are basically sauteing the carrots in some ghee but let the carrots cook mostly on their own. You will have to saute until the carrots are fully cooked. Add in the sugar half way through and the other ingredients towards the end.
No, a good box grater will be more than enough! You will spend some more time and elbow grease compared to using a food processor but as long as you don't mind, it will be fine.
Storage and Reheating
As mentioned above, we will cook the carrots only in ghee without adding milk. Due to this, the halwa actually lasts much longer and you can easily be store in the refrigerator for 10 days. I doubt there will be any left until then but that is a different kind of a problem! 😁
I would also recommend serving this gently warmed up in the microwave oven for 10-15 seconds. This helps warm up the ghee and tastes a lot better. A popular way to serve carrot halwa is of course with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also think pistachio ice cream goes really well with the halwa.
I hope you give this delicious carrot halwa a try soon. If you do, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment, suggestion or feedback below. You can also find tag us using #dillandthyme on IG, Facebook and Pinterest.
Recipe
Carrot Halwa
Equipment
- 1 12" or 10" Non stick skillet
- 1 Box Grater or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb Sweet Red Delhi Carrots sub with regular fresh carrots
- ½ cup Ghee
- ½ - ¾ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Each of Cashews, Pistachios, Raisins
- ¼ teaspoon Powdered Cardamom
Instructions
- Heat a skillet and add a tablespoon of the ghee. Keep the heat at low and add the nuts and raisins. Gently saute until the nuts have turned a golden brown color. Remove from pan and keep aside.
- Place the same pan back on the stove and add another 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the grated carrots once the ghee has melted. Keeping the heat medium low, saute every 30 seconds or so to ensure the carrots don't get burnt. After 10 minutes, add the ½ cup sugar and mix well.
- Keep adding 2 tablespoons of ghee every few minutes when the carrots are cooking. Keep stirring and check to see if the carrots are releasing water when you press down.
- At one point, you will no longer see any moisture being released and the ghee will start to collect around the edges. You can also check by taking a small spoonful and taste the halwa when it has cooled down(be careful while doing this). If you prefer it to be more sweet, add another ¼ cup and mix.
- Once you feel the carrots are cooked enough, turn off the stove. Add the powdered cardamom and mix well. Top with he previously roasted nuts and raisins before serving.
Notes
- Add ½ cup sugar and let the mixture cook. Taste to see if the level of sweetness is okay for you. Add another ¼ cup if you feel the halwa needs more. This will also vary on the type of carrots being used.
- Use as little ghee as you want if you want to keep the fat content low. Yes, it will impact the flavor but you will still be able to enjoy a lovely treat.
- The calories and price per serving provided is an approximate value. It will vary depending on the actual quantity, ingredient substitutions, brands etc used.
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