Gajar Halwa is a popular Indian dessert made from grated carrots, milk, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter). The dish is traditionally made by cooking grated carrots in milk until they become soft and the milk has been absorbed. Here is my recipe of the halwa made in instant pot. And I didn’t stop there! These gajar halwa bars is taking this popular Indian dessert to a bit size, mess free, grab and go dessert category.
I am using a shortbread crust to give a crunch that complements the soft texture of the carrot base filling. The filling is made by cooking the carrots in evaporated milk along with cardamom and sugar, later blending it smooth and baking to let it set on the shortbread crust. Blending also makes the filling smooth, making it taste like a fudge. Once the filling is set, cut it into square bars and garnish with nuts and rose petals.
Happy Cooking!
Gajar Halwa Bars
Equipment
- Food Processor
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 160 g all purpose flour
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of one orange
Gajjar Halwa filling
- 2 tsp ghee
- 270 g grated carrots ~ 2 to 3 whole carrots
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cardamon powder
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- chopped nuts and rose petals for garnish
Instructions
Shortbread crust
- Preheat the oven 350 F. Grease a 8X8 pan with oil/melted butter and line with parchment paper. The parchment paper should hang on all the four sides.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, orange zest, sugar and salt until everything is mix; around ~5 pulses.
- Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture looks fine and crumbly.
- Transfer the shortbread-crust mixture to the prepared pan and gently pat it down into an even layer, using your hands or a flat bottom cup.
- Using a fork, poke holes across the surface.
- Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes.
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes, the shortbread should be barely golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the crust cool to room temperature on wire rack.
Gajjar Halwa filling
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Make sure the above shortbread crust has cooled down to room temperature.
- In a medium sauce pan on a medium add ghee and carrots, cook for a minute.
- Stir in evaporated milk and pinch of salt, bring the mix to a gentle boil. Reduce to heat to low and let the carrots cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add caradamom, sugar and cornstarch to the carrot mix. Give everything a nice stir and blend it to a smooth mix in a high speed blender.
- Pour the filling in prepared pan, bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The center of the pan should not be jiggly.
- Remove the pan from oven, garnish with dried nuts and rose petals and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the pan for at least 2 hrs before cutting them into square pieces.
- Store the bars in fridge, serve it cold or at room temperature.
