Kali Gajar Ka Halwa is a winter delicacy in northern India, especially in Uttar Pradesh. It refers to halwa made using black carrots, which are mostly available only in the winter months. The dessert tastes delightful when well-made, a decadent, delicious treat to the tastebuds.
My husband got home some black carrots from a work trip to Delhi some time ago, and I knew I had to recreate this halwa. I treasured the carrots for quite some time, holding on to the last of the winter goodness, savouring them in various dishes – the halwa, I must say, turned out beautiful, becoming an instant hit with the family.
Let me share with you all how I made the Kali Gajar Ka Halwa.
A Look At The Ingredients Used
Black carrots are the primary ingredient in this halwa. These carrots are actually a deep purple, due to the presence of a high amount of anthocyanins, and are a great source of various nutrients. They have a slightly earthy fragrance – not unlike that of beetroot – which you don’t find in red carrots. The ones that I used were quite sweet.
I made this halwa almost the same way I make halwa using the sweet, red ‘Delhi carrots’, with a slight difference in the technique. I used ghee, full-fat milk and sugar, the way I usually do. As suggested by my house help, I also used some Badam Drink Mix from MTR, which added great texture and taste to the halwa, and also helped in masking the earthy taste to quite an extent (not sponsored).
I added some fried cashewnuts and raisins in the halwa, and used some toasted and slivered almonds for garnishing.
How To Make Halwa Using Black Carrots
Here is how I made it.
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
1. 4-5 medium-sized black carrots, about 3 heaped cups when grated
2. 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons ghee
3. 500 ml full-fat milk, roughly about 2-1/2 cups
4. 1/4 cup sugar
5. 1/4 cup MTR Badam Milk Mix
6. 7-8 cashewnuts
7. 1 tablespoon raisins
8. 6-7 almonds for garnishing (optional)
Method:
1. Remove the tops and ends of the black carrots and peel off the skin. Grate the carrots medium-thick. I had about 3 heaped cups of carrot gratings.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the grated carrots, and reduce the flame down to medium. Saute on medium flame for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.
3. Add in the milk at this stage. Mix well.
4. Cook the mixture on medium flame for 15-20 minutes or till the carrot gratings are cooked and soft. You will need to stir intermittently, to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cream will form on the sides of the pan, which you will need to scrape back into the pan intermittently.
5. At this stage, continuing to keep the flame at medium, add in the sugar and the MTR Badam Drink Mix. Mix well.
6. Cook on medium flame till all the milk is absorbed and the mixture thickens up. This might take 7-10 minutes. Switch off gas when the mixture has thickened but is still on the runnier side – remember that it will thicken up further with time.
7. Now, chop up the cashewnuts roughly and keep them ready. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small tempering pan. Add in the chopped cashewnuts and raisins, and reduce the flame down to low-medium. Fry the nuts and raisins, stirring constantly with a spoon to prevent burning. When the cashewnuts start to brown and the raisins plump up, add them to the halwa we prepared in the other pan. Mix well. Your Kali Gajar Ka Halwa is ready. You can eat it hot, warm, at room temperature or after chilling it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
8. If you are using almonds, toast them on medium flame just you plan to serve the halwa. Make sure the almonds do not burn. Transfer the toasted almonds to a plate, and allow them to cool down completely. Chop the toasted almonds into thin slivers and use them to garnish the halwa.
Other Halwa Recipes On The Blog
You might be interested in taking a look at some of the other halwa recipes that are there on my blog already.
- Red Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Halwa
- Bun/Bread Halwa
- Kasi Halwa/White Pumpkin Halwa
- Beetroot Halwa
- Lauki Ka Halwa/Bottle Gourd Halwa
- Kele Ka Halwa/Banana Halwa
Tips & Tricks
1. Adjust the quantity of sugar you need as per personal taste preferences. The MTR Badam Drink Mix has sugar too – do bear that in mind.
2. You can use regular milk powder in place of the Badam Milk Mix I have used here. I personally prefer using the former, though.
3. You can use more or less ghee, as per your preferences.
4. Make sure you cook the halwa in a heavy-bottomed pan only, to prevent burning and sticking to the bottom. Use a large pan, to prevent over-crowding.
5. Use full-fat milk to cook the halwa, for best results.
6. It is important to cook the Kali Gajar Ka Halwa on a medium flame only. The slow cooking renders the halwa all the more flavourful.
7. Make sure the cashewnuts and raisins do not burn.
8. Remember to add in the sugar only after the milk-and-carrot mixture has cooked through and the carrots have turned soft. The addition of sugar will cause the halwa to get slightly runny, but that is not a concern – it will soon thicken up.
9. Cook the halwa till all the milk has been absorbed and the mixture thickens, but remember to switch off the gas when it is still runny. The halwa tends to thicken up further with time.
10. I would, normally, add some cardamom powder to gajar ka halwa. However, since the MTR Badam Drink Mix already contains cardamom, I did not add it separately. Some versions of the Kali Gajar Ka Halwa also use spices like dry ginger powder, to cut down on the sweetness, but I did not use any.
Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!
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