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Out of all Desi desserts, Carrot Halwa is probably my favorite, but truly great ones are hard to find. This recipe makes a classic-but-easier Carrot Halwa that’ll impress everyone you serve it to. It’s rich but not heavy, not too sweet, and so flavorful all while requiring one pot and 8 ingredients!
The Key to a Great Carrot Halwa
There’s a simple secret to making the best Carrot Halwa: Bhunai, or the extensive sautéing. Tedious, yes, but it’s what creates the difference between a good Carrot Halwa and a great Carrot Halwa. You can be flexible with other parts of this recipe – vary the quantities, ratios of milk, heavy cream, etc., but try not to skimp on the final stages of sautéing. It’s what deepens the rich, caramelized flavor while enhancing the texture of the Halwa.
P.S. Years ago, I shared this IP Carrot Halwa recipe, but seeing as the Instant Pot is not the best for lengthy sautéing, I figured it’s better to share this stovetop version. It’s a similar but elevated recipe that also makes a bigger batch, perfect for a special family dinner or doubling for guests.
An Easier Carrot Halwa
Gajar Ka Halwa traditionally involves simmering milk until it reduces to milk solids that meld with the carrots. To mimic the richness while shortening the simmer time, this recipe adds heavy cream, milk powder, and optionally khoya. It’s still somewhat lengthy (~1 hr of passive stirring), just not as time-intensive as the classic version.
Ingredients
You’ll need 8 easy-to-find ingredients:
- Carrots: Bhunai aside, the carrots ultimately determine how good your carrot halwa is. I wouldn’t use baby carrots, pre-shredded, or any carrots not in their original state. I suggest organic carrots because I find they taste the best.
- Ghee: I use a generous amount of ghee because what is Carrot Halwa without that beautiful trace of ghee left on your plate?
- Green cardamom pods: Adds a hint of cardamom flavor. For stronger flavor, grind the seeds of 3 cardamom pods and add the powder at the final stages.
- Milk + Heavy whipping cream: Whole milk softens the carrots and adds milky flavor while heavy cream adds richness. You can also use half and half in place of the heavy whipping cream.
- Raw cane sugar: I use the fine, light-brown cane sugar (as pictured). You can also use Turbinado sugar. I find pure white sugar to be more flat-tasting and missing the complex, caramel flavors I love in Carrot Halwa.
- Dry milk powder: Adds texture and milky flavor to the halwa. While whole milk powder (like Nido) is my preferred choice, it can be harder to find. Non-fat milk powder is more readily available and works just as well in the recipe.
- The milk powder won’t make or break your halwa. If you can’t find, omit.
- Nuts: Blanched, slivered almonds (I usually use the packaged, pre-blanched kind) and/or chopped pistachios (both salted and unsalted work). If you’d prefer a kid-friendly or nut-free Halwa, feel free to skip the garnish.
- Khoya: Optional, because it’s not easily available. Khoya (mawa), or milk solids, add rich, hearty flavor while cutting through the sweetness with their crumbly texture. Most restaurant/halwai-style Carrot Halwas include Khoya or Mawa, but I truly don’t think it’s essential for a great Carrot Halwa. In fact, some restaurants will overdo the khoya in an attempt to cover up their lack of flavor. 😅
- Choose a khoya/mawa that with least amount of ingredients. I like United King brand.
Make it dairy-free: Substitute ghee with oil, milk with your choice of DF milk, and cream with vegan heavy whipping cream. One reader also suggested replacing both the milk and cream with extra creamy oat milk.
How to make Carrot Halwa
1 – Shred the Carrots
- Look for the shredder attachment of your food processor to shred the carrots. If you have two shredders, use the one that’ll produce thicker shreds. Shredding tip – start shredding from the tip of the carrot to the thick end, and julienne any remaining carrot pieces.
- Shredding the carrots instead of finely chopping them gives the carrots more structure in the final product. However, if you’re okay with a mushier, more uniform texture, feel free to finely chop them instead of shredding.
2 – Sauté the Carrots
- Use a nonstick Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot to prevent scorching. Heat ghee and sauté the cardamom pods until they swell and become aromatic.
- Add the shredded carrots and sauté until they’re tender enough to break easily when pressed between your fingers. During this initial sauté, the carrots will soften and release their natural sugars, deepening their flavor, color, and aroma.
3 – Simmer Milk + Cream with Carrots
- Add the milk and cream and cover to bring to a boil (this takes ~2-3 minutes). Once it reaches a rapid boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover to cook.
- As the milk reduces, it will take on a yellow hue, and the carrots will begin to soften while retaining some texture. Gradually, they’ll start to disintegrate as the milk absorbs and thickens. You’ll notice ghee separating, and the mixture eventually sticking slightly to the bottom of the pan—a sign that it’s close to done.
To cover or not to cover: I haven’t found a difference in flavor whether you keep the pot covered or uncovered. Uncovering makes the process go faster, but the liquid also evaporates too quickly. To give the carrots time to soften, I prefer cooking it covered.
4 – Add Sugar and Sauté
- Increase the heat and add sugar, stirring constantly as it melts. You don’t want to step away for more than a minute or two here, because the Halwa scorches easily once the sugars are introduced. As the sugar melts, it will begin to caramelize and deepen the color of the Halwa. The mixture will initially become more liquid as the sugar melts, then gradually thicken as moisture evaporates.
5 – Add Milk Powder + Ghee
- Lastly, sprinkle the dry milk powder all over the surface of the halwa to prevent clumping.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee and khoya if using, and continue sautéing for another 5-10 minutes. If using khoya, make sure it melds into the carrots.
- Once the ghee starts to separate and the halwa turns a deep orange color, turn off the heat. (If no ghee separates, add 1/2 tbsp more).
6 – Garnish and Serve Hot
- As crucial as bhunai is, sautéing it for too long will start to crisp up the carrots, making them lose softness.
- Turn off the heat and garnish with almonds and pistachios, and more khoya if using. Serve hot, or allow it to cool while keeping it covered. I find Carrot Halwa is one of those dishes that taste even better the next day.
How to freeze and Reheat Carrot Halwa
Carrot Halwa is one of the most freezer-friendly desserts. Just freeze in an airtight glass container for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow it to thaw, then sauté on the stovetop over medium heat. I like to add a bit of ghee to help the halwa disintegrate and taste freshly cooked.
How to Double or Triple the Recipe
For larger quantity (2x or 3x), I’d suggest making the following changes:
- Sauté for longer at each step.
- Reduce the amount of liquid to make the process quicker. For doubling, I suggest 3 cups milk instead of 4, and 1 cup cream instead of 1 1/2 cups.
- For extra large (3x) quantities, at the initial carrot sautéing stage, reduce heat, cover, and allow it to cook for 5-10 minutes instead of manually sautéing.
- Reduce the amount of ghee. I’ve found while this quantity works for one batch, doubling or tripling leaves too much ghee. You can also blot with paper towels after cooking.
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
Carrot Halwa (Gajar Ka Halwa) – Classic but easier!
- 1.5 lb (680 g) organic carrots , (weighed after removing tops & ends), tops removed and peeled – this is 3 small bunches for me
- 1/4 cup ghee, divided
- 6 green cardamom pods, a few cracked open
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp (~87 g) raw cane sugar, more to taste – Note 1
- 2 tbsp whole or nonfat dry milk powder
- 3/4 cup (80 g) shredded/crumbled khoya (mawa), optional, plus more for garnish – Note 2
- 1-2 tsp blanched slivered almonds, for garnish
- 1 tsp slivered/chopped pistachios, for garnish
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Use the shredder attachment of a food processor to grate the carrots, in batches if necessary. If you have two shredders, use the medium-sized shredder instead of the fine shredder (See pictures). If you don’t have a shredder attachment, use a grater/shredder to shred by hand.
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Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a large, deep nonstick pan or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cardamom pods and sauté for about 15 seconds, until they swell in size and become aromatic. Add the shredded carrots and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens and the carrots reduce down slightly. If you press a carrot shred between your fingers, it should break easily. Add the whole milk and heavy cream and stir to mix. Cover the pot to allow the milk to come to a rolling boil.
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Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovering and stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. At this point, the carrots will still have some texture, the halwa will be thick and creamy, and the ghee will start to separate. The carrots may also start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
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Reduce the heat to low-medium to prevent the mixture from sticking. Continue cooking, uncovering to stir occasionally, for another 10-15 minutes. Toward the end, stir more frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot, scraping any stuck bits from the bottom. It should thicken and become more homogenous, with its color still more more orange than red.
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Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the sugar and sauté, stirring almost constantly, for another 7 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar, adding 1 tbsp if you want it sweeter. (If using khoya, you’ll probably need the extra tbsp.)
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Lastly, sprinkle the dry milk powder all over the surface of the halwa to prevent clumping. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee and khoya/mawa (if using), and continue sautéing for another 5-10 minutes. This final step, known as bhunai, is crucial for bringing out the rich color and deep, caramelized flavor. That said, you don’t want to sauté for too long, as the carrots can start crisping up.
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Once the ghee starts to separate and the halwa turns a deep orange (closer to red) color, turn off the heat. (If no ghee separates, add 1/2 tbsp more). Top with slivered almonds, pistachios, and more khoya, if using. Keep covered until ready to serve.
Note 2: Available at Indo-Pak grocery stores, in the freezer section. Khoya/khoa (mawa), or milk solids, add rich, hearty flavor while cutting through the sweetness with their crumbly texture. Most restaurant-style Carrot Halwas include Khoya or Mawa, but I truly don’t think it’s essential for a great Carrot Halwa. Reduce to 1/2 cup (54g) for lighter Carrot Halwa.
Notes for Doubling or Tripling the Recipe:
- Use the largest pot/pan you have.
- Sauté for longer at each step.
- Decrease amount of liquid. I have tried various amounts and the recipe works fine. Instead of 4 cups milk, use 3 cups. Instead of 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream, use 1 cup. In this case, you may want to increase the amount of milk powder or use Khoya to compensate.
- Reduce the amount of ghee. I’ve found while this quantity works for one batch, doubling or tripling leaves too much ghee. You can also pat it out after cooking.
Calories: 295kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 127mg, Potassium: 587mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 19540IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 1mg