Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe (Video Recipe)

Some dishes never lose their glory nor they are ever out of trend, one such classic dessert is Gajar Ka Halwa. The winter season in North India is so incomplete without homemade gajar ka halwa. The seasonal juicy, long, deep-orange carrots are the soul of a deliciously perfect gajar ka halwa. These winter carrots have altogether different taste and texture than the regular small carrots; with a hint of natural sweetness, these are just perfect for making carrot halwa.

I have some sweet memories related to Gajar Ka Halwa back from childhood when loads of carrots use to come from our farm. The ladies and kids in the family used to sit in a circle and grate carrots while basking in the winter sun and munching peanuts. Then my great-grandmother used to cook Gajar Ka Halwa on the wood fire (chullah) and let the gajar halwa simmer in cow’s milk for hours. At night after dinner we all use to relish Gajar Ka Halwa – sometimes I feel spending my childhood in a joint family has taught me so many things like sharing, eating together, socializing and most importantly teamwork.

I have tried different recipes for Gajar Ka Halwa but every time I ended up with a mushed up Gajar Ka Halwa. Then finally I discussed the gajar ka halwa recipe with my aunt (father’s sister) who lives in Nainital and is a fabulous cook. Her husband’s family owns this famous sweet shop in Nainital, Mamu’s from past three generations. So she shared with me this recipe of Gajar Ka Halwa, the way it is cooked in her home and the end result is simply divine! No condensed milk, no milk just three ingredients – carrot, mawa, and sugar. And the best part about this gajar halwa recipe is it is partly cooked in a pressure cooker. That saves a lot of time and effort.