Gajar Halwa with condensed milk

This Instant Gajar Halwa recipe with condensed milk is quicker and easier! It is made with shredded carrots cooked with condensed milk, ghee, and cardamom to leave you with a delicious Indian dessert. Gluten-free and can be made nut-free too!

About this easy Gajar Halwa with milkmaid recipe ( Carrot Halwa)

Gajar Halwa also known as Carrot Halwa, Gajar ka halwa or Indian carrot pudding weaves many memories. It is often associated with festivals like Diwali and Navratri, occasions, celebrations, and autumn. This easy peasy Carrot halwa with condensed milk is a quick and cheat version of the halwa that is prepared elaborately. It is equally delicious and ready in 30-40 minutes overall.

You can choose to make it nut-free by omitting the nuts for garnishing.

My mom would traditionally make this carrot halwa by simmering the grated red carrots in milk and sweetening them with sugar. The whole process is a labor of love and would take about 1.5 - 2 hours and they are delicious. Locals in the North of India call this winter dessert Gajrela.

However, in our instant version, we have cut down the elaborate step of boiling the milk, until it reduces. Instead, we are using condensed milk/milkmaid for this and saving about half the cooking time for the recipe.

If you are pressed for time, you can also speed up the process of grating the carrots, by shredding them in a food processor instead of a box grater.

We are also lucky to have juicy orange carrots available all year round. I don't really wait for the seasonal red carrots to come into the market anymore.

Why you should try this recipe?

Quick and Instant version of the elaborate carrot halwa, still equally delicious!

The recipe uses shortcuts to speed up the process.

Made with only a handful of ingredients.

Dietary needs - Naturally vegetarian and gluten-free. Make it nut-free by omitting the garnishes.

Use this carrot halwa to make Indian fusion desserts like Gajar Halwa cheesecake jars

Ingredients

A full list of detailed measurements/ instructions for Gajar Halwa with milkmaid is in the recipe card below.

Carrots - I have used juicy orange carrots. They are available to buy at all the local stores or supermarkets in the UK near you. Traditionally, this Indian carrot pudding is made with red juicy carrots.

Condensed milk - For this recipe, I have used Nestle carnation Condensed milk available in a 397g tin. Also called Milkmaid in India.

Milk - I prefer to use whole milk or full-fat milk to make the dessert. Avoid using semi-skimmed or skimmed milk

Ghee - I make it at home with unsalted butter and it takes under 5 minutes. Alternatively use store-bought ghee. If you are in the UK, you can buy East End Pure Butter Ghee or Dabur organic ghee from the supermarkets.

Cardamom - In this recipe, I have used powdered green cardamom. Do not use Black cardamom as they are not a dessert-friendly spice.

Nuts - Using nuts is an option. If you enjoy, you can use cashew nuts, almonds, and pistachio.

How to make Gajar Halwa with condensed milk step by step?

Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the grated carrots and saute for 5-6 minutes until they soften.

Now add the milk and allow the carrots to simmer in the milk. Cook until the milk has dried out. About 5 minutes. Stir in between.

Add the condensed milk, mix and cook. Stir every now and then, so that the halwa doesn't catch the bottom of the pan.

Cook for a few more minutes, until the condensed milk, amalgamates with the carrots.

Add the ground cardamom, and nuts and stir into the halwa. Remove from heat and serve.

Serving suggestions

There are many ways how you can serve Gajar Halwa

Serve Gajar ka Halwa as a dessert, warm or cold in tea glasses, shot glasses, ramekins, or dessert cups.

Gajar Halwa cheesecake Jars - I have shared an elaborate recipe on how to make it.

Gajar Halwa parfait

Storing Carrot Halwa

Once the Halwa has cooled down, store the gajar halwa in an airtight container in the fridge. Do not store at room temperature as they may get spoilt. They will keep well up to a week.

Update - This post was first published on 18th Feb, 2015. Revised the post with added information and new images.