Thaaro Foods

Winter Recipes with Ghee: Gond Ladoo, Gajar Halwa and Til Ladoo

By Thaaro Foods · 8 October 2026

When winter arrives, North Indian kitchens turn to gond ladoo, gajar halwa and til ladoo. Three family favourites, made with ghee.

In North India the cold months bring their own sweets, made in big batches and stored in tins. Here are three, all made with ghee.

1. Gond ke ladoo

About 20 ladoos. ¼ cup edible gum (gond), 2 cups whole wheat flour, ¾ cup ghee, 1 cup powdered jaggery or sugar, ½ cup chopped almonds and cashews, 2 tbsp grated dry coconut, ½ tsp cardamom.

  1. Heat 3 tbsp ghee and fry the gond in small batches on low heat until it puffs up. Crush it lightly.
  2. Add the rest of the ghee and roast the flour on low heat for 15–20 minutes until golden and fragrant.
  3. Off the heat, mix in the gond, nuts, coconut and cardamom. Let it cool until warm.
  4. Stir in the jaggery and shape into ladoos.

2. Gajar ka halwa

Serves 4. 1 kg red winter carrots (grated), 1 litre full-fat milk, ¾ cup sugar, 4 tbsp ghee, cardamom, nuts.

  1. Cook the grated carrots in the milk on medium heat, stirring often, until the milk is absorbed (40–50 minutes).
  2. Add the ghee and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the halwa turns glossy.
  3. Add the sugar; it melts and loosens the halwa. Cook until it thickens again.
  4. Finish with cardamom and fried nuts.

3. Til-gur ladoo

About 15 ladoos. 1 cup white sesame seeds, ¾ cup grated jaggery, 1 tbsp ghee, a pinch of cardamom.

  1. Dry-roast the sesame on low heat until golden and popping. Set aside.
  2. Melt the ghee and jaggery together on low heat until it froths and a drop in water sets firm.
  3. Stir in the sesame and cardamom quickly, and shape small ladoos with greased palms while warm.

Til ladoo is a Makar Sankranti favourite across India.

Storing them

Keep ladoos in an airtight tin for two to three weeks; keep gajar halwa in the fridge and eat it within a few days.

See also bajra roti with ghee and gur and our moong dal halwa. Shop buffalo ghee.

Questions

Why does gond need to be fried?

Raw edible gum is hard and glassy. Frying it in ghee makes it puff up and turn crisp, so it can be crushed into ladoos.

When should sugar go into gajar halwa?

After the milk has been absorbed and the carrots are cooked in ghee. Sugar added earlier makes the carrots take longer to soften.

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