Gajrela (Carrot & Rice Kheer)
گجریلا (گاجر اور چاول کی کھیر)
When the sweet red winter carrots arrive in Punjab, many families make gajar halwa, and many make gajrela. Gajrela is a cross between halwa and kheer: grated carrots and a handful of rice cooked slowly in plenty of milk until the rice breaks down and the pudding turns thick, creamy and soft orange. It uses far less ghee than halwa, so it's lighter, and it's just as good warm on a cold night as it is chilled the next day.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 25 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Warm the ghee in a heavy pot and sauté the grated carrots for 5 minutes until they soften and smell sweet.
Add the milk and drained rice and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat and simmer for 50–60 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the rice is completely soft and the pudding is thick.
Add the sugar, cardamom and raisins and cook for 10 more minutes until creamy. Stir in most of the nuts.
Serve warm, or chill and serve cold, topped with the remaining nuts.
Kitchen notes
Grate the carrots finely so they melt into the milk.
Add sugar only at the end; sugar added early stops the rice softening and makes the milk catch.
It thickens a lot as it cools; loosen leftovers with a splash of milk.
A Punjabi winter pudding
Gajrela is a home dessert rather than a sweet-shop one. It’s made in Punjabi kitchens on both sides of the border when the long, deep red winter carrots are cheap and sweet. Families who find gajar halwa too rich often prefer it.
Halwa meets kheer
The method is closer to kheer than to halwa: a small amount of rice cooks in a lot of milk until it breaks down and thickens everything. The carrots, sautéed briefly in ghee first, melt into the milk and give the pudding its colour and natural sweetness.
Carrots around the world
Red Asian winter carrots are the traditional choice. Ordinary orange carrots, available everywhere, also make a lovely gajrela; it will just be a brighter orange and slightly less sweet.
Serving
Serve warm in winter or chilled the next day, topped with slivered almonds and pistachios. It’s a good make-ahead dessert for a winter dawat.
Questions people ask
Can I use orange carrots?
Yes. Red Asian winter carrots are sweeter and give a pinker colour, but orange carrots work well; you may need a little more sugar.
How is it different from gajar halwa?
Gajar halwa is cooked until dry with ghee and khoya. Gajrela keeps plenty of milk and adds rice, so it's a creamy pudding.
Can I make it in a pressure cooker?
Yes. Cook the carrots, rice and milk for 2 whistles on low, then simmer open with the sugar for 10 minutes.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 290
- Protein
- 9 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
