Gajar Ka Halwa: Make the Winter Carrot Dessert at Home with Milk, Desi Ghee and Khoya

Winter has properly arrived. Thursday brought the season’s first rain to the twin cities and heavy snow to the mountains, and the markets are full of red carrots. That means one thing in most Pakistani homes: gajar ka halwa, the slow-cooked carrot dessert that fills the whole house with its smell. The recipe is simple. It only asks for a little patience.
Ingredients
1 kg red carrots, peeled and grated; 1 litre full-cream milk; 1 cup sugar, or to taste; 4–5 tablespoons desi ghee; 4–5 green cardamoms; ½ cup khoya; sliced almonds and pistachios, to garnish.
Method
Put the grated carrots and milk in a wide, heavy-bottomed karahi over low heat. Let the milk reduce slowly, stirring now and then so the carrots do not catch at the bottom. When the milk has nearly dried up, add the desi ghee and fry well, until the ghee starts to separate at the edges. Now add the sugar and cardamom — the sugar goes in only after the milk has reduced, or the halwa turns watery. Finally stir in the khoya and cook for two more minutes. Garnish with almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
A few useful tips
A wide karahi helps the milk evaporate faster. Frying the carrots in ghee first also keeps the water out. Add the khoya at the end, or its flavour gets buried. The finished halwa keeps in the fridge for two to three weeks. Prep time 20 minutes, cooking time about an hour, and the quantity serves six to eight people.