Gajrela or Gajar Ka Halwa is a classic dessert originating from Punjab. It is made with simplest of ingredients yet the final result is an epitome goodness and flavour. The recipe is straightforward and anyone without having advanced cooking skills can whip up this dessert in their kitchen. One most important ingredient required to make this dessert delightful is patience. Yes, my dear friends, patience is the key to getting this recipe right. Grated carrots are cooked in desi ghee, milk and cardamom and then fried nuts are used for garnishing this beauty.
I remember while I was growing up I was so fond of gajrela that I would literally grate carrots for hours and the cook this delicious dessert all by myself. I loved every bit of time I spent while I made this dessert for my family. Today I am sharing the recipe to make gajrela or gajar ka halwa without using any store bought mawa. I would also like to skip using refined sugar and instead add jaggery or cane sugar so that I can enjoy my favourite dessert guilt free with my family.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 Kg grated carrots
- 1 cup jaggery or refined sugar
- 1/4+1/4 cup Desi ghee
- 1.5 litres Milk
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1/2 cup nuts( almonds, cashews, raisins etc)
COOKING THE CARROTS WITH DESI GHEE
The first step in making this delightful dessert is to cook the grated carrots with desi ghee. The traditional and authentic recipe needs butter but I somehow feel ghee or clarified butter more aromatic. Introduce ghee or butter whatever you prefer into a kadai on a low flame. Once the ghee has melted add the grated carrots and cook them with ghee for about 5 minutes, you will witness an aroma of goodness.
COOKING THE CARROTS WITH MILK
The next step is to cook the carrots with the goodness of milk. In this recipe we won’t be using any store bought mawa instead we will cook the carrots with full fat milk and cardamom powder until the milk reduces completely. At this stage you will see a creamy texture of the milk induced into the carrots just like the mawa. Make sure you cook the carrots with milk on a medium flame to avoid burning, also keep stirring occasionally until you see a thick and creamy texture.
SWEETENING THE GAJRELA
Once you have attained a creamy base it’s time to introduce the sweetener. You can definitely opt for refined sugar which elevates the taste but I want to enjoy my favourite dessert guilt free with my family so I like to add jaggery or cane sugar to sweeten it. As per your preference whatever you choose to add, refined sugar or cane sugar this recipe will still taste delicious. After adding the sweetener go ahead and cook it further more for about 10-15 minutes until all the water released from the sugar is reduced and you have a creamy texture.
GARNISHING GAJRELA WITH NUTS
Heat 1/4 cup of ghee in a kadai and wait until it melts , then add nuts of your choice and fry until they are golden in colour. Now add them into the cooked gajrela. This step elevates the taste further more and also gives an amazing crunch to your gajrela.
GAJRELA
Gajrela or Gajar Ka Halwa is a classic dessert originating from Punjab. It is made with simplest of ingredients yet the final result is an epitome goodness and flavour. The recipe is straightforward and anyone without having advanced cooking skills can whip up this dessert in their kitchen. One most important ingredient required to make this dessert delightful is patience. Yes, my dear friends, patience is the key to getting this recipe right. Grated carrots are cooked in desi ghee, milk and cardamom and then fried nuts are used for garnishing this beauty.
Ingredients
- 1 Kg grated carrots
- 1 cup jaggery or refined sugar
- 1/4+1/4 cup Desi ghee
- 1.5 litres Milk
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 cup nuts( almonds, cashews, raisins etc)
Instructions
Heat 1/4 cup desi ghee in a kadai/pan/wok and then add grated carrot. Cook the carrots with ghee for about 5-8 minutes.
Add the milk and cook until the majority of the milk dries up and you attain a creamy base. Be patient as this step will take about 45 minutes or more.
Once the milk has reduced add jaggery or refined sugar whatever you prefer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the water released from the sugar dries up and you have a creamy texture.
In another kadai heat 1/4 cup ghee and fry the nuts of your choice( Eg. almonds, cashews , pistachios, raisins etc.)
Garnish the halwa with the fried nuts, cook for 5 more minutes and then remove from the flame.
Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I promise you can't resist this one!
