Indian-Style Carrot Pudding

Carrot pudding is a delicious paleo, dairy-free treat. You’re in for something special.

This Indian-Style Carrot Pudding first appeared in Paleo Magazine as part of my monthly column with Mel Joulwan of Well Fed. Mel writes the recipes and I take the photos. It’s the best partnership ever, and I love working with her because of recipes like this one.

The History of Carrot Pudding

Mel writes:

Northern India’s Punjab region is known as “India’s bread-basket,” and it’s bordered by Pakistan and the western reach of the Himalayas.

Thanks to its unique geography, it’s one of the most fertile regions on the planet, producing vast amounts of wheat, rice, potatoes, cotton, and sugarcane.

In addition to its rich, buttery flavors and beloved basmati, Punjabi cuisine is probably most notable in the rest of the world for its tandoori tradition: meat marinated and cooked in a specialized oven called a tandoor, where the temperature can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

And in a country renowned for its sweets—sugary dumplings, lush puddings, silver-topped pastries, golden-fried balls of dough—the dish known as gajar ka halwa is a Punjabi stand-out.

Flecked with toasted nuts and seasoned with aromatic cardamom and rose water, it’s a pudding—with a surprising ingredient—that’s shockingly luscious.

It’s hard to believe this delicate dessert begins with the story of a humble root vegetable: the carrot.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Mughal Empire was expanding across the Indian continent and international traders followed with enticing, never-before-seen products, including the orange carrot.

Carrots were originally purple (and red, yellow, or white and had been grown in nearby Afghanistan for almost 5000 years). But in the 1600s, Dutch horticulturists developed an orange carrot.

There’s some disagreement whether this beta-carotene powerhouse was created in a deliberate homage to the Dutch prince William of Orange—or whether it was merely the happy accident of the mutation of red and yellow varieties.

Whatever the genesis, this new, orange carrot was wildly popular. It was sweeter, prettier, less sticky, all of which made it irresistible to chefs eager to develop modern recipes.

In Punjab, cooks began to use the carrot in both sweet and savory dishes. It was finally transformed into gajar ka halwa, a dessert that could be enjoyed hot or cold and was at peak flavor just in time for Hindu festivals including the “festival of light” (Diwali), the “festival of colors” (Holi), and the sugar feast known as Eid al-Fitr.

How to Make This Paleo Carrot Pudding

The carrot pudding traditional recipe is prepared by simmering grated carrot with khoya (a fresh Indian cheese that’s similar to ricotta), milk, and sugar. When the carrots are soft, cashews are gently stirred into the pudding, along with more ghee, and it’s garnished with almonds and pistachios. To make shredding the carrots a breeze, I use my food processor. (This is the one I have.)

A popular modern variation adds shredded papaya to the carrots for a fruity twist, and some cooks use equal amounts of carrots and red beets for even more vegetable power in their sweet treat.

Keeping It Dairy-Free

Our carrot pudding recipe replaces the traditional khoya and milk with coconut milk (see my Homemade Coconut Milk recipe) for plenty of creaminess without the dairy. We’ve kept the ghee for a buttery, nutty flavor, but if you prefer to completely eliminate all dairy, you may use coconut oil instead.

The perfume of cardamom is essential to the flavor, but we’ve replaced the rose water with vanilla, since it’s probably already in your pantry. If you want to try the more authentic version, replace the vanilla with an equal amount of rose water.

And finally, our carrot pudding is studded with a confetti of raisins, cashews, almonds, and pistachios to make any meal feel like a celebratory feast. If you want to try either the papaya or beet versions, replace two of the carrots in the recipe with 1 cup of shredded papaya or beets.

Give this recipe a try. It’s perfect for spring and a nice occasional treat.

See our other recipe collaborations here:

• Hungarian Goulash
• Thai Larb with Pork
• Easy Smoked BBQ Pork
• Spicy Yuca Fries with Garlic Sauce
• Lamb Kebabs with Carrot Salad

Indian-Style Carrot Pudding

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 444 kcal

Author: Steph Gaudreau

This delicious Indian-style carrot pudding is a dairy-free dessert packed with flavor. It's paleo and vegetarian.

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Ingredients

• 4 tsp ghee
• 4 large carrots coarsely grated
• 14 oz coconut milk
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 tbsp golden raisins
• 2 tbsp chopped cashews
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons ghee in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; stir in the carrots and toss to coat; cook 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender and the sauce is beginning to thicken, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the coconut sugar, cardamom, vanilla, and salt; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should turn a caramel color and have the consistency of thick caramel.
2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 teaspoon ghee in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the raisins, cashews, and almonds and sauté about 3-4 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the nuts are lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
3. When the pudding is thickened, stir the nuts and raisins into the pudding and transfer to individual serving dishes. Refrigerate until set, then bring to room temperature to serve. Garnish with chopped pistachios just before eating.

Recipe Notes

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Nutrition Facts

Indian-Style Carrot Pudding

Amount Per Serving

Calories 444 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 24g120%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 84mg4%

Potassium 618mg18%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 10205IU204%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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