Gajar Ka Halwa Rabri Buns
If gajar ka halwa with rabri was a sweet danish bun, this is exactly what it would be ♡
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These gajar ka halwa rabri buns would definitely be on the winter menu if I ever opened a cafe. I didn’t want them to just feel carrot flavoured, I wanted them to actually taste like gajar ka halwa. So instead of adding carrot purée to a dough, I cooked the carrots the exact same way halwa is made, slowly simmered in full fat milk with cardamom, kesar and sugar and then used that to make the dough itself. I was originally going to fold khoya into the dough but I knew it would get lost once baked. Turning it into a khoya rabri filling made more sense because it keeps that milky richness intact and gives you a soft, creamy centre. It’s basically everything you expect from gajar ka halwa: just baked into a really soft creamy bun!
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How to make these gajar ka halwa buns?
How to make the gajar ka halwa dough?
Start by peeling and chopping the red carrots. Add milk to a pot and place it on low heat. Once the milk is warm, add the carrots along with the sugar, crushed cardamom pods and kesar. Let this mixture simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the carrots are completely softened and fork tender and the milk has reduced slightly, just like gajar ka halwa.
Transfer the hot carrot milk mixture to a bowl and mash it thoroughly while it’s still hot. By the time you’re done mashing, the mixture should be warm which is perfect for activating the yeast. Add the yeast directly to this warm mixture, mix well, cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the surface looks bubbly and active.
In a separate bowl, combine the all purpose flour and salt. Add the proofed carrot mixture to the dry ingredients and mix using a fork, spatula or chopsticks until a shaggy dough forms. At this stage, you can also mix in some grated carrots for extra colour, if you like. Add the ghee and knead the dough for 5–10 minutes until it comes together into a soft, tacky dough that is surprisingly easy to work with. Cover the dough and let it proof in a warm environment for 90 minutes to 2 hours or till it has doubled in size.
How to make the khoya rabri filling?
To make the filling, add the milk to a pan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the milk powder, crumbled khoya, crushed cardamom pods and kesar, and mix well. Let this simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fully hot and slightly thickened.
In a small bowl, mix a little of the hot milk from the pan with the cornstarch to form a smooth slurry. Add this slurry back to the pan and cook, stirring continuously, until the filling thickens slightly. Keep in mind that the mixture should not be too thick, as it will continue to thicken as it cools. Transfer the rabri filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
How to prepare the topping?
Heat ghee in a pan and add the chopped cashews and almonds. Cook them until they turn lightly golden and aromatic. Crumble in the khoya and cook until it becomes lightly golden as well. Turn off the heat and add the chopped pistachios. Set this aside to cool.
Shaping, filling and baking the buns:
Once the dough has proofed, divide it into equal portions of about 75–80 g each. Gently roll each portion into a smooth ball, then flatten it slightly with your palm and place it on a parchment lined baking tray. Let the shaped buns proof again in a warm environment until they look puffy.
Once proofed, add the completely cooled khoya rabri filling to the centre of each bun and top generously with the ghee-roasted nuts and khoya. Bake the buns in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15–20 minutes or till they are cooked through and lightly golden on top. If using an airfryer, cook at 170–175°C for 10–15 minutes.
As soon as the buns come out of the oven, finish them with a little ghee while they’re still hot. Serve warm and if you have extra rabri filling left, spoon it over the buns just before serving!
Notes
- Creating a warm environment for proofing: If your kitchen is cold, place a pan or pot of boiling hot water on the bottom rack of your oven. Put the covered dough or shaped buns on the middle or top rack and keep the oven switched off but closed. The steam creates a warm, humid environment that helps the dough proof properly.
- Milk temperature for yeast: The carrot milk mixture should be warm, not hot when you add the yeast. If it feels comfortably warm to the touch, it’s good to go. Overheating can kill the yeast.
- Rabri filling consistency: Do not over thicken the rabri on the stove. It will continue to thicken as it cools and again while baking, so a slightly loose consistency works best
- These buns are best enjoyed warm. If you have extra rabri filling, spoon it on top just before servingg!
Gajar Ka Halwa Rabri Buns
servings
7 buns
prep time
30 min
cook time
90 min
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 red carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup (240 g) full cream milk
- 3 tbsp (40 g) sugar
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed
- 7 kesar strands
- 1½ tsp instant or active dry yeast
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup carrot, grated
- 2 tbsp (30 g) ghee
Rabri Khoya Filling
- 1 cup (240 g) full cream milk
- 2 tbsp (15 g) milk powder
- ⅓ cup (45 g) khoya (mawa), crumbled
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed
- 7 strands kesar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) sugar
Ghee Roasted Nuts
- 1 tbsp (15 g) ghee
- ¼ cup cashews and almonds, chopped
- ¼ cup (30 g) khoya (mawa)
- 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped
Instructions
-
For the dough:
• Peel and chop the red carrots.
• Add milk to a pot and bring it to a gentle heat.
• Add the chopped carrots, sugar, crushed cardamom pods and kesar.
• Let this simmer on low heat for 45-60 min, stirring occasionally until the carrots are completely softened and fork tender.
• Transfer the hot carrot milk mixture to a bowl and mash it well while it’s still hot. By the time you’re done mashing, the mixture should be warm.
• Add the yeast to this warm mixture, mix well, cover and let it proof in a warm environment for about 10 minutes until bubbly and active.
• In a separate bowl, add all purpose flour and salt.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix using a fork, spatula or chopsticks until a shaggy dough forms.
• Mix in the grated carrots, if using, add the ghee and knead the dough for 5–10 minutes until you have a soft, tacky dough that is easy to work with.
• Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it proof in a warm environment for 90-120 min or until doubled in size. -
For the khoya rabri filling:
• Add milk to a pan and bring it to a gentle simmer.
• Add milk powder, crumbled khoya, crushed cardamom pods and kesar. Mix well.
• Let this simmer for 10–15 minutes till the mixture is hot and slightly thickened.
• In a small bowl, mix some milk from the pan with cornstarch to make a slurry.
• Add the slurry back to the pan and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens slightly.
• Make sure the filling is not too thick, as it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool completely. -
For the topping:
• Heat ghee in a pan.
• Add chopped cashews and almonds and cook till lightly golden and aromatic.
• Crumble in the khoya and cook until it turns lightly golden.
• Turn off the heat and add chopped pistachios and set aside. -
Assembling and baking:
• Once the dough has proofed, divide it into equal portions (around 75–80 g each).
• Roll each portion gently into a smooth ball.
• Flatten slightly with your palm and place on a parchment lined tray.
• Let the shaped dough proof again in a warm environment until puffy. Using a greased spoon or fingers, create wells for the filling.
• Add the completely cooled khoya rabri filling to the centre of each bun.
• Top with the ghee roasted nuts and khoya.
• Bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes till the buns are cooked through and lightly golden on top.
Airfryer option:
• Air fry at 170–175°C for 10–15 minutes. - Once out of the oven, add ghee on top while the buns are still hot. and serve warm. If you have extra rabri filling, spoon it on top before enjoyingg!
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Leave a Comment
I just watch this yesterday and I can’t wait to try iy already…and honestly I think you are amazing!! And tooo talented an creative!! Lots of love…keep being the best🫶🏻
Hi! Such a beautiful recipe! May I know which brand of yeast you’ve used here?
