Gajar Ka Halwa for me is synonymous to winters. Growing up in Ahmedabad, Uttarayan is a big celebration. Going up to the terrace with the first sign of light on 14 January and spending the entire day flying kites, eating Udhiyu, Puri, Jalebi, Sugarcane and a big big box of Gajar Halwa.
My mother would make a big box of Gajar Ka Halwa with the on set of winters. We would sit around watching TV after our meals and warm ourselves with her delicious creamy Gajar Ka Halwa. She sometimes added Black Cardamom Seeds instead of the Small Green Cardamom but I'm personally not a fan of that.
Gajar Ka Halwa can stay good for more than a month if refrigerated. Just remove a little at a time as needed, warm it up and pop the remainder of the halwa back in the fridge. Pressuring cooking the carrots and giving it one whistle is a great short cut to making gajar ka halwa when you're short on time.
Here's how I make it, do let me know how you enjoyed it.
Ingredients:
Carrots, 8-10 washed, cleaned and peeled
Ghee, 3 tbsp
Almonds & Cashews, chopped (or any nuts of your choice)
Milk, 2 cups
Cardamom Powder, 1/2 tsp
Sugar, 3/4 cup
Khoya, 1 cup grated
Procedure:
1. Grate the carrots and set aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the nuts till they turn golden. This add flavor and crunch, adding a bit to the halwa. Set aside.
3. Add the leftover ghee to the pan and add the carrots.
4. Saute the carrots in ghee for about 7-10 minutes. We want to cook the carrots while getting rid of the excess moisture.
5. Add the milk and cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the carrots are cooked.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
7. Next add the sugar and mix well.
8. Finally add the khoya. This gives a body to our halwa and makes it rich and creamy.
9. Cook till the khoya melts and blends in.
10. Gajar Halwa is best enjoyed warm!
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