In the cold winters of Pakistan, people love a traditional dessert which is commonly known as “Gaajar Ka Halva”. Gaajar ka Halva or Carrot Pudding is full of nuts and dried fruits (specially dried raisins, almonds and pistachios) and it is eaten warm. Gaajar Ka Halva is equally popular in some parts of India as well.

Gaajar ka Halva or Carrot Pudding ( Courtesy : flickr )

Gaajar Ka Halva is not a tough ask to be made but it requires lots of hard work and time. Firstly the carrots are grated after getting washed and peeled and then these carrots are mixed with condensed milk, normal milk and sugar in a large pan. The whole stuff is cooked on a medium flame till all the milk thickens and shrinks. When all it becomes tendered, then Desi Ghee is added to the material and it is continuously stirred on high heat till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Now this is the time to add Khoya which is prepared with cream milk and it actually adds the richness of taste unlike any other ingredient. Khoya may also be replaced with the dry milk powder if it is not available. Furthermore the dried fruit stuff is the other important ingredients to be added with Gaajar ka Halva. The whole material of Gaajar ka Halva is mixed up well finally and it is covered for at least 20 minutes. Some people also love Gaajar ka Halva with the slices of boiled eggs and extra Khoya.

You’ll hardly find any marriage function in the province of Punjab, Pakistan where Gaajar ka Halva or Carrot Pudding is not served as dessert with the meal. As Gaajar ka Halva is full of energy and power, the mothers specially prepare this for their children. Gaajar ka Halva is an ultimate dessert of winter in Pakistan and it is served hot in most of the restaurants. To enjoy the wet evenings of winters, the families come out specially to enjoy Gaajar ka Halva, which is available on many food corners.