Gajrela or Carrot Rice Pudding is a popular dessert in Pakistan. It is a carrot based sweet pudding with the added goodness of nuts cooked on low flame. It is a very simple dessert and every family has it’s own recipe. This particular recipe is my mother’s. She used to make a big pot of Gajrela in winters and it’s one on my fav recipes of her. It’s Autumn nowadays and Gajrela seems to be a perfect dessert for this season. It is a healthy dessert and can be made even healthier. Just reduce the amount of sugar and use low-fat milk to satisfy your sweet tooth during weight-loss routine.
Ingredients
1 kg Grated Carrots
1/4 Cup Rice (grinded & soaked)
3 Liters Milk
250 ml Cream
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
1 tbsp. Butter
1/4 Cup Walnuts (sliced)
1/4 Cup Almonds (soaked, peeled & sliced)
1/4 Cup Pistachios (sliced)
1/4 Cup Khoya/Barfi (optional)
Method
First of all, grind rice and soak them in water for 30 minutes. Add butter in a large pot. Once melted, add grated carrots and fry for a few minutes. This gets rid of the raw flavor of carrots and makes Gajrela more tasty. Then add 2 liters of milk along with cream and soaked rice (drain water before putting in pot). Let it cook on low flame for about an hour until carrots and rice are fully cooked. Keeping stirring occasionally,
Once carrots and rice are soft, add remaining 1 liter of milk, sugar, cardamom powder and nuts. Since I don’t like Gajrela too sweet so I have added less sugar. If you want, you can add more sugar. Also, if you are using khoya, grate it and add it at this point. Now let this mixture cook on low flame until the Gajrela is thick. Keep stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Dish out in a bowl and garnish with nuts. Refrigerate and serve.
Do try this recipe and leave a comment! Looking forward to your feedback.
LifeOfADesiExpat 