Crockpot Carrot Halwa Aka Gajar Halwa

Indian foods are generally suited for crockpots, however a crockpot can really ease the making of a carrot halwa. You would not get a fully authentic flavour with a crockpot, but the ease of making the halwa in a crockpot makes the compromise worth its while.

First off, what is Halwa, Google defines halwa as a sweet Indian dish consisting of carrots or semolina boiled with milk, almonds, sugar, butter, and cardamom.

Wikipedia has a much longer page dedicated to halwa across the world, but I prefer the google definition.

I've seen many recipes on the net for crockpot halwa, however all of them need speciality items like condensed milk, khoya, etc. I like this recipe as it is the simplest of all and can be made with only three ingredients (the rest are all optional).

As I had mentioned earlier, you cannot get a fully authentic flavour with a crockpot, hence I am documenting multiple methods to make halwa in a crockpot. These include (from easiest to most difficult):

1. All at once
2. Add sugar later
3. Finish it in a pot

Carrot halwa can be made with a minimum of three ingredients, but for additional flavour there are some optional items (and if you can get them - you won't regret it). These include:

1. Carrots - 1 kg (or 2 lb) peeled and grated
2. Full Cream Milk - 1 liter (or .26 US gallons)
3. Sugar - 1/2 kg (or 1 lb)
4. Cardamom pods - 4-6 crushed (optional)
5. Ghee - 2-3 Tablespoons (optional)
6. Roasted Almonds - 12-15 thinly sliced (optional)

The easiest method, add the following ingredients to the crockpot and leave on HIGH for 6-8 hours:

1. Carrots peeled and grated in a food processor (or manually)
2. Milk
3. Sugar
4. Cardamom (if using)

Mix occasionally. One hour before the set time, add ghee (if using) and almonds (if using). Mix. The halwa is ready when all the milk has dried up and the carrots have turned to mush.

Enjoy.

The drawback of the earlier method is that the carrots retain a certain amount of crunchiness even when the halwa is done. This is because the sweet milk does not penetrate the carrots fully. Hence this option.

Add the following ingredients to the crockpot and leave on HIGH for 3-4 hours:

1. Carrots peeled and grated in a food processor (or manually)
2. Milk

After 3-4 hours, add in the sugar and the cardamom (if using); mix and leave it for another 3-4 hours.

Mix occasionally. One hour before the set time, add ghee (if using) and almonds (if using). Mix. The halwa is ready when all the milk has dried up and the carrots have turned to mush.

Enjoy.

The typical Indian halwa has a glaze to it and a hint of fried ghee. Unfortunately, both the earlier methods do not provide this flavor. Don't get me wrong - it still tastes amazing, but not authentic. On the other hand, the typical halwa requires you to patiently stir the halwa on the stove-top for hours waiting for the milk to evaporate, while ensuring that the carrots don't stick to the bottom and burn. This method provides the best compromise in my opinion - you get the authentic taste, and don't have to stand at the stove for hours (only 15 minutes or so)

Add the following ingredients to the crockpot and leave on HIGH for 3-4 hours:

1. Carrots peeled and grated in a food processor (or manually)
2. Milk

After 3-4 hours, add in the sugar and the cardamom (if using); mix and leave it for another 1-2 hours.

Transfer the the carrot / milk / sugar mixture when there is still some milk left to a heavy pot on a stove (medium high).

Add ghee and almonds

Stir while it is heating - ensure the carrots don't stick to the bottom.

Just before all the milk evaporates, add 3-4 tablespoons of sugar. This would give the halwa a glaze.

Enjoy.