_44.jpg) Gajar ka halwa | |
| Alternative names | Gajar ka Meetha Pak, gajrela, gajorer halwa gazoror halwa, carrot halwa, Gajar Pak |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | India,Bangladesh,Pakistan |
| Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | Carrots, milk, water, ghee, sugar,khoya |
| Variations | Black carrot halwa, red carrot halwa, carrot and beetroot halwa, cheesy carrot halwa |
Gajar ka halwa, also known asgajorer halwa,gajarno halwo,gajrela,gajar pak, andcarrot pudding,[1][2][3][4] is a sweet Indiandessert made by placinggratedcarrots in a pot containing a specific amount of water, milk, sugar, and cardamom and then cooking with ghee while stirring regularly. It is often served with a garnish of almonds and pistachios.[citation needed] The nuts and other items used are firstsautéed inghee, a type of clarified butter from the Indian subcontinent.[5] It is generally served hot during the winter.[6]
The dessert is traditionally eaten during all of the festivals in the Indian subcontinent, mainly on the occasion ofDiwali,[7]Holi,Raksha Bandhan, andEid.[8] It is served hot during the winter.[9]
In July 2025,Gajar ka halwa was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) by Indian astronautShubhanshu Shukla as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). The dessert, specially formulated for space consumption by theIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and theDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was shared with fellowastronauts during a cultural exchange event aboard the ISS. This marked one of the mission’s most memorable evenings and represented a symbolic gesture ofIndia's culinary heritage in outer space.[10]
Gajar ka halwa is a combination ofnuts,milk,sugar,khoya andghee with gratedcarrots.[11][12] Gajar ka halwa has a medium shelf life so it is now sometimes exported.
At the time of festivals, many people prefer vegetarian dishes as well as desserts in theirthali. Because of its low fat content, vegetarian characteristics, ease of making, medium shelf-life and taste, gajar ka halwa is a popular dessert all over India and often served at most festivals.[citation needed]
Gajar ka halwa originally contained carrots, milk and ghee but nowadays includes many other ingredients like mava (khoya).[13]
The main ingredients of gajar ka halwa are freshly grated carrots, milk, sugar, cardamom,khoya, and ghee. Being a combination of milk and carrots, it is known as milk flavored gajar ka halwa but in the other case, the combination of cream or mava (khoya) and carrot is described as mava flavored gajar ka halwa.[14] For cooking gajar ka halwa, acooker orkadai is usually preferred. Vasundhara Chauhan, writing forThe Hindu, writes that gajar ka halwa should be slow-cooked and that using a pressure cooker spoils the dish.[15] The carrots must be grated before cooking.
Red velvet carrot halwa is a variation of thegajar ka halwa. It is made by heating a comparatively large amount of milk cream along with carrots,sugar,rose water andsaffron over low flame.[16]
Other lesser-known variations includecarrot and beetroot halwa,cheese gajar ka halwa,khajur gajar ka halwa and carrot dessert.Cheese gajar ka halwa is prepared with a combination ofpurple carrots andricotta. This dish is popular in northern India because purple carrots are mostly grown there.[17]
