Easy Peasy Carrot Pudding Gajrela, also known as Gajar ka halwa, is a classic Indian dessert crafted using just a handful of kitchen staples and a hero ingredient- carrots. This sweet treat is super easy to make, and tastes absolutely divine for so little kitchen time and effort.
Give this recipe a shot when you’ve got some guests or just when you want to treat yourself to a healthy dessert, and either way, it’s going to be a total hit. Scroll down to discover everything you need to know about getting the recipe right.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to make the pudding.
- Carrots (grated): 2 cups
- Clarified butter or ghee: 1 tbsp
- Milk: ½ cup
- Condensed milk: ¼ cup
- Cardamom pods (crushed): 2-3
- Almonds (chopped): 2 tbsp
How to Make the Carrot Pudding
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to make the carrot pudding.
Heat a deep bottomed pan.
Add the grated carrots. Let it cook for a minute.
Next, add in the clarified butter or ghee and mix well.
Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the milk and mix well. Let the mixture come to a boil.
Keep stirring in between and let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the milk evaporates.
Next, add in the condensed milk and mix well.
Keep cooking until the milk dries.
Transfer to a vessel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Garnish with almond slivers before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This classic carrot pudding tastes perfect on its own, but if you want to bring in some variation, you can add your choice of ground nuts into it. Almonds and pistachios are classics you can never go wrong with, but a handful of raisins can also be thrown in to add more flavor to the dish. 
You can definitely skip the condensed milk if you don’t have it at hand. Just remember to add in a bit of sugar to bring some sweetness into the recipe. Also, to compensate for the lack of creaminess, you might want to add some evaporated milk or milk powder into the mixture. 
Yes, you can! This carrot pudding is freezer friendly, which means you can prepare it in a big batch and freeze it for up to 3 months. Just remember to use a freezer safe bag or container to store it, and allow it to thaw completely before you reheat it. 
Your leftover pudding can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Just remember to sprinkle a bit of water into the pudding before you reheat it to get it nice and moist. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Gajrela
Ready to give this recipe a shot? Here’s a bit more you should keep in mind before you do.
- Start off with fresh, juicy carrots, ideally the longer, red ones that you usually find during the winters.
- If your carrot pudding seems too dull and colorless, you can add a bit of beetroot puree to get it that nice pop of color.
- Don’t skip the cardamom pods- they are exactly what get Gajrela its unique earthy flavor.
- Make sure you stir the mixture often to keep it from burning and sticking to the edges or the bottom of the pan.
- To lend some extra flavor to the carrot pudding, you can also add a dash of rose water or some saffron strands into it while the mixture is still cooking.
- Choose a good quality heavy bottomed pan for this recipe- it will ensure that the heat is evenly distributed and will make cooking a breeze.
- If you don’t have the ghee that this recipe calls for, you can use butter as an alternative.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Gajrela is best served hot, right after it is made. Of course, you can also team it up with the classic scoop of vanilla ice cream to enjoy that nice contrast in texture, color and temperature too.
Got a sweet tooth? You might also want to experiment and try out some of these other dessert recipes.
- Baked low-carb Sugar-free Kala Jamun
- Chocolatey Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Keto Peanut Butter Bars {W/ Pecans}
📖 Recipe
Easy Peasy Carrot Pudding Gajrela
Ingredients
- 2 cups Carrots , (grated)
- 1 tablespoon Clarified butter or ghee
- ½ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Condensed milk
- 3 pcs Cardamom pods , (crushed)
- 2 tablespoon Almonds , (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat a deep bottomed pan.
- Add the grated carrots. Let it cook for a minute.
- Next, add in the clarified butter or ghee and mix well.
- Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and mix well. Let the mixture come to a boil.
- Keep stirring in between and let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the milk evaporates.
- Next, add in the condensed milk and mix well.
- Keep cooking until the milk dries.
- Transfer to a vessel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with almond slivers before serving.
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