The iconic South Asian dessert inspires this tart – Gajar Ka Halwa, which is a carrot pudding made with ghee (clarified butter), milk solids, and spices and is one of the most popular winter desserts in countries like India and Pakistan. It’s cozy, comforting, and absolutely delicious.
This fusion tart is an explosion of texture and flavors, with a crisp shortcrust pastry tart shell, chewy sweet carrot filling, a silky smooth custard layer, and a crunchy sugar brulee on top. It’s an absolute show-stopper of a dessert that’s super simple to make!
Let’s begin by saying that this isn’t the prettiest tart ever, but believe me when I say this – the flavors and textures are an absolute 10/10. I wanted this tart to look as simple as possible and let the flavor do all the talking. I mean, when you look at it, it looks like any other egg custard tart, but when you eat it, it’s SO much more than that.
Now, if you’re a South Asian, you know exactly what gajar ka halwa is. But if you aren’t, let me introduce you to one of those most warming and comforting winter desserts. As carrots are in season during winter, this gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding) is one of our go-to desserts during the colder months. The flavors are also warm and comforting, making it perfect for the season.
A classic gajar ka halwa is a product of a lot of love and effort. It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of time. Shredded carrots are cooked with a TON of sugar, ghee (clarified butter), spices, and milk for hours on end to give you a delicious cup of gajar ka halwa. It’s often mixed with milk solids that take the dessert to the next level. Every home has its own way of making gajar ka halwa, and each one is equally as delicious.
The last few weeks have been quite cold where I live, which is a BIG surprise. But it got me craving a warm and cozy winter dessert, and I could think of nothing else but the gajar ka halwa. It just reminds me of the cold winter days at home.
Now let’s be honest, I am no connoisseur when it comes to Indian desserts, I prefer leaving those to the experts, but I thought, what if we take the flavors of a classic gajar ka halwa and turn it into something modern? And right at that moment, I knew this idea was going to work. And it worked so much better than I ever expected.
This carrot custard tart/gajar ka halwa tart is a baked custard tart filled with a simple and quick version of gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding) cause no one (meaning me) is going to stand in the kitchen for 3-4 hours making the OG version 😬.
The carrot filling is made with shredded carrots cooked with condensed milk, spices, and ghee until the carrots have softened and reduced. The cooked carrot filling is added to a pre-baked shortcrust tart shell and topped with a quick and easy custard. The tart is then baked until the custard is completely set and is completed with a brulee of sugar on top to give it a crunchy effect.
Let’s take an in-depth look into each of the elements of this gajar ka halwa tart.
If you like fusion desserts, you might like these, too!
Shortcrust Tart Base
The tart base for this dessert is made with my simple, go-to shortcrust pastry recipe. It results in a crisp, delicious tart base that perfectly complements the soft carrot and custard filling.
If you want to learn more about the shortcrust pastry, I have a full article on the shortcrust pastry recipe, but here are a few tips to help you make your tart shell.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough when adding the flour. The flour should be JUST combined and the dough should just be holding its shape together. Overmixing the dough will lead to sticky dough that will be hard to work with,
- To roll the dough easily, place it between two sheets of baking paper before rolling it. This makes sure that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin while rolling.
- Always chill the dough after rolling it out. The pastry becomes soft very quickly; freezing the dough will help you work with it and shape it on your tart case or ring easily.
- You should also chill the dough after you shape it around your tart ring; this will help the dough hold its shape while baking.
- When blind-baking the tart, cover it with baking paper and add dry rice or baking beans to add weight to the pastry to stop it from rising.
- I would recommend using a perforated tart ring to make tarts. The holes in a perforated ring allow air to flow through the dough, which leads to more even baking. This is the one that I use for making small tarts. And this one is for big tarts.
Follow these tips, and you will have perfect tart shells every time!
You can also make the dough in bulk and freeze the dough for up to 2 months. This way, you can make tart shell or shortcrust biscuits whenever you want!
For this recipe, the tart shell is baked twice. First, it’s bling baked until it’s cooked, but still a little on the blonde side (so that it can cook fully in the second bake), then again with the filling.
The Carrot Filling
As I mentioned, a classic gajar ka halwa is hours’ worth of work, so we are going the simpler route. This carrot filling is made with shredded carrots and condensed milk and replicates the flavors of gajar ka halwa without all that work.
The first step is to shred the carrots and squeeze them to release all the water content. Now, we are ready to cook them. In a pan, add the ghee (clarified butter) and fry the carrots until the moisture is reduced and they start to look a little dry. Next, you’re going to add the condensed milk, mix it through, then cover and cook until the carrots have softened.
At this step, you can add the spices. I have chosen to use cinnamon and nutmeg, but honestly, you can choose any winter spice, like cardamom or even ginger. It’s all about preference. Continue to cook until the carrot mixture has thickened and is no longer milky. It should be cooked enough that it can hold its shape. You want the filling to be chewy and thick, not milky and liquid, so it’s important to cook it out.
This process will not take more than 30 minutes, even less if you have a food processor to grate the carrots.
Once the filling has cooled, add it to the tart shell carefully, filling the shell halfway through. Don’t forget to press it down using an offset spatula to even out the layer.
The Custard
The custard plays two roles in this recipe – it’s used as a filling inside the tart and also used as a finishing topping while serving the tart. It’s a basic egg custard recipe called Crème Anglaise in pastry terms.
The custard is made with 4 simple ingredients – milk, vanilla, egg yolks, and caster sugar. The egg yolks give the custard its thick and rich texture.
While it’s quite easy to make, a little technique is required to get soft, silky custard. As the recipe requires cooking eggs over the stove, you have to be careful not to scramble or overcook them, resulting in a curdled or split custard that is far from pleasant. There are two main techniques to stop this from happening.
- Tempering the eggs: Tempering refers to the process of introducing some heat into the eggs before transferring them to the stove top, which in a way, prepares the eggs for the heat and reduces the chance of them scrambling when they come in contact with extreme heat. In a custard recipe, this is done by boiling the milk separately, adding some of the hot milk into the eggs, whisking it in, and then transferring the egg and milk mixture to the stovetop.
- Continuous mixing: To stop the eggs from scrambling, you have to mix the custard continuously so that all the egg particles get even heat simultaneously, which, once again, stops them from scrambling. So make sure to keep mixing the entire time the custard is on the stove!
Another way to ensure that the custard is silky smooth is to strain it with a sieve; this get rids of any thick egg particles that may have formed in the mixture.
Once the custard has cooled down, pour it on top of the carrot filling until the tart shell is filled to the top. The tart should be baked low and slow, or the custard will curdle, crack, and no longer be smooth and silky. Make sure to keep an eye on it while it’s baking! Once it’s baked, let the tart cool for 2-3 hours until the custard is fully set.
The Sugar Brulee
The final step of this carrot custard tart is the brulee; no, you CANNOT skip it. It essentially makes the top similar to a creme brulee, and gives the tart a delicious crack and crunch, which paired perfectly with the silky smooth filling.
PS: do the brulee just before serving, as the sugar does not remain crunchy for a long time.
To brulee the top, add a few spoons of granulated sugar on top of the cooled custard, then use a blow torch to cook and crisp the sugar. If you don’t have a blow torch, I have a hack for you because I don’t have one, either!
Creme Brulee without a blow torch hack
For this technique, you’re going to need a metal spoon that you don’t like very much cause it’s gonna be ruined forever.
- After you top the custard with sugar, take the metal spoon and heat it with a spoon on your stovetop’s flame. Heat it for 2-3 minutes until it’s red hot.
- Once the spoon is hot, immediately place it on top of the sugar and move it around. The extremely hot metal will cook and crisp the sugar, creating the same effect as a blow torch.
Of course, it won’t be exactly the same thing, but it works well and does the job. But it does take quite a lot of time!
So, ready to wow your guests (and yourself) with this delicious fusion dessert? Let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Carrot Custard Tart | Gajar Ka Halwa Tart
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- Hand whisk
- 7" tart ring
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Shortcrust Tart Pastry
- 130 gs unsalted butter, softened
- 100 gs caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 250 gs all-purpose flour
Sweet Carrot Filling
- 250 gs carrots, shredded
- 150 ml condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder (or any winter spice of your choice like ginger or cardamom)
- 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) can sub with butter, but I recommend using ghee
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- 100 gs egg yolks
- 80 gs caster sugar
- 500 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 20 gs granulated sugar (for brulee)
Instructions
Shortcrust Tart Pastry
- In a bowl of a stand or electric mixer, add the butter and sugar and whip it on high speed for 5-8 minutes until they are properly creamed together.
- Once that's done, add the eggs and whip on medium-high speed until there are no liquid streaks left in the batter and the eggs are properly incorporated in the batter.
- Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and gradually start adding the flour. Mix until the flour is just incorporated into the dough. Make sure not to overmix, or your dough will become too sticky. The final dough should just hold its shape together.
- Transfer the dough to the baking paper, then place another sheet of baking paper on top. Roll the dough to 2mm thickness evenly, then let it chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing the dough allows it to hold its shape when you shape it around your tart ring or pan.
- After chilling, cut and shape the dough as per your tart ring, then chill it for another 15 minutes. If you are not using a perforated tart ring, poke small holes on the base of the pastry with a fork to allow even baking. The holes also stop the pastry from rising while baking.
- Place baking paper on top of the prepared tart ring, then fill it with dry rice or baking beans. Adding weight to the pastry allows it to bake without rising.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius, then blind bake the tart for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Bigger tarts might take a longer time.
Sweet Carrot Filling
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add 2 tbsps of the ghee. Once it's hot, add the shredded carrots and fry them for 3-5 minutes until the moisture starts reducing. Make sure to squeeze the water out of the shredded carrots before frying.
- Once the carrots have dried a little, add the condensed milk. Keep stirring until it's properly incorporated, then cover and cook the carrot mixture for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until the carrots have softened and the mixture has reduced. Add the spices and cook until the carrot mixture is thick and not runny. Set aside until ready to use.
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- Place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil on low-medium heat. While the milk boils, add the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk using a hand whisk until the sugar is combined and the eggs are smooth and thick, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, add half of it to the egg and sugar mixture while continuously mixing. This process is called tempering the eggs and is done so that the eggs can get used to the heat before they are added to the boiling milk on the stove, and avoid scrambling the eggs when they come in contact with high heat.
- Transfer the milk and egg mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat while continuously mixing with a silicone spatula to avoid any scrambling. Cook the custard for 3-5 minutes until it starts thickening. Take it off the heat and strain the custard it into another bowl immediately to stop the cooking process.
Filling and Baking
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. In your prepared tart shell, add a layer of sweet carrot pudding, filling it halfway through. Make sure to press it down neatly using an offset spatula. Top the carrot filling with the custard, filling it to the brim. Don't forget to reserve some custard for serving
- Carefully place the tart in the oven's center rack. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the custard appears set but is still jiggly from the center. Be careful not to overbake the tart, or the custard will curdle and crack. I recommend keeping a constant eye on the tart as each oven works differently. Once the tart is baked, let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the custard to set.
- To finish, top the cooled tart with granulated sugar and brulee using a blow torch. If you don't have a blow torch, use the heated spoon technique – heat a metal spoon on your stove's flame for 1-2 minutes until it's red hot, then place the hot spoon on the sugar-topped custard. The hot metal will melt and brulee the sugar, giving the same effect as a blow torch. Brulee the tart just before serving to maintain the sugar crack. Serve cold with the reserved warm custard on top.
Notes
- Be careful not to overmix the dough when adding the flour. The flour should be JUST combined, and the dough should just hold its shape together. Overmixing the dough will lead to sticky dough that will be hard to work with,
- To roll the dough easily, place it between two sheets of baking paper before rolling it. This ensures that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin while rolling.
- Always chill the dough after rolling it out. The pastry becomes soft very quickly; freezing the dough will help you work with it and shape it on your tart case or ring easily.
- You should also chill the dough after you shape it around your tart ring; this will help the dough hold its shape while baking.
- I would recommend using a perforated tart ring to make tarts. The holes in a perforated ring allow air to flow through the dough, which leads to more even baking.
- Keep a close eye on the tart when you are baking it with the custard as custard can curdle and split when overcooked.
Don’t get intimidated by this recipe; it’s actually quite simple! You can make the tart shell in advance and prep the rest of the tart on the day of serving.
If you love gajar ka halwa or any carrot-flavored dessert, you will absolutely love this one.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you liked it in the comments, and share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
