Instant Pot Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa

Carrot Halwa or Gajar Halwa is a popular Indian dessert with grated carrots cooked in ghee, milk, aromatic cardamom, and saffron. Enjoyed warm during the cold wintery nights or chilled with a scoop of ice cream on summer evenings, this dessert makes a perfect treat for the entire family. The best part is that it only takes 30 minutes for this make-ahead recipe using the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

This year we celebrated Mother's day with Gajar Halwa, a delicious Indian dessert cooked in the Instant Pot! Gajar ka halwa is a popular North Indian dessert. I have fond memories of eating this slow-cooked dessert on cold winter days, especially when the red carrots were in season. You will often find this popular dessert at Indian restaurant buffets made with milk, condensed milk, khoya, or mawa(thickened whole milk) and is loaded with ghee.

I was hosting extended family that included seniors with a more strict diet to kids and everyone in between who prefers eating healthy. So I decided to lighten up the recipe and make it healthy-dish. And, I am thrilled to report that everyone devoured the Carrot Halwa and it is now our go-to carrot halwa recipe.

Healthy Gajar Halwa

Here is how I make a lighter version of Gajar Halwa or Gajrela

• Replace whole milk with almond milk (Note: Low-fat milk works great too)
• Instead of the traditional mawa or khoya, I use Almond meal or almond flour to add creaminess to the halwa
• A lot less sugar than the traditional versions
• Just 2 tablespoons of homemade ghee

Note: This halwa does not have a super creamy texture like the traditional halwa. It has a lighter texture and tastes delicious. The best part is that it is approved by kids, adults, and the elderly in my family!

Tips

Love the traditional Gajar ka halwa? Here are few tips to easily change the recipe for that:

1. Use regular milk instead of almond milk
2. Substitute almond meal with khoya(mawa), non-fat dairy milk powder, or ricotta cheese
3. Use condensed milk (milkmaid) instead of almond meal. Since condensed milk is sweetened, remember to reduce the amount of sugar
4. To make dairy-free carrot halwa, substitute ghee with any neutral oil, coconut oil, or vegan butter

You can also check out a variation of this recipe in the BEST-SELLER The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook. My cookbook recipe uses low-fat milk and condensed milk to add a fudge-like texture to the halwa. I made it recently to celebrate the one year anniversary of my book:

Instructions

Step by step recipe for Instant Pot Carrot Halwa:

Step 1: Prepare the carrots

Peel and grate the carrots. To grate the carrots you can either use the coarse setting on a manual grater or grate using the food processor. I prefer the food processor method especially when I am grating large amounts of carrots as it takes less than a minute to grate 8 -10 carrots. Alternatively, you can also buy pre-shredded carrots from stores like Trader Joe's that are available in the produce sections.

Step 2: Pressure Cook

Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté(Hi) mode. Add ghee and grated carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in almond milk and close the lid with the pressure value set to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook/Manual(Hi) for 5 minutes. Quick-release and open the Instant Pot. Add sugar, almond meal, cardamom powder, raisins, and saffron.

Step 3: Sauté until desired consistency

Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté(Hi) and cook for 5-7 mins as the liquids evaporate, stirring frequently. Make sure that the halwa does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the halwa starts to thicken you make want to turn off the Instant Pot. Not: The halwa will continue to thicken as it cools down. Take the Halwa out in a serving dish and garnish with more sliced almonds or pistachios. 

Serve Gajar Halwa warm or chilled.

Note: Carrot halwa can be made ahead and stays good in the refrigerator for up to a week. This Gajar Halwa also freezes well. I simply, place it in freezer zip lock bags and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator when ready to use. Microwave for short times, to reheat.

When I host dinners, I not only include this carrot halwa in the menu but also start with this make-ahead halwa recipe. Here is one of my go-to and colorful Vegetarian Indian meal idea that is always a hit for a party or celebration

• Appetizer: Aloo Chat - The best way to start any party with this colorful easy to assemble starter
• Drink: Mango Lassi - A crowd-pleaser Indian drink that is enjoyed by adults and kids
• Main Dish: Dum Aloo - No-fail recipe with baby potatoes cooked in a creamy tomato sauce
• Main Dish: Palak Paneer - Vibrant green spinach with paneer cheese that takes only 15 minutes to make
• Rice Dish: - Vegetable Biryani with Raita - Another colorful rice dish loaded with veggies and served with cooling raita
• Bread: - Whole Wheat Parathas - Surprise your guests with homemade bread instead of the usual naan

Did you enjoy this delicious and EASY Indian Dessert? Here are some more sweet dishes to try:

• Instant Pot Dudhi Halwa
• EASY Instant Pot Kheer {Indian Rice Pudding}
• Pineapple Sheera - Stovetop recipe
• Carrot Sheera - Stovetop recipe
• Instant Pot Sevai Kheer
• Sheer Khurma - Stove top & Instant Pot Recipe
• Mango Shrikhand - No cook recipe

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Recipe

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Instant Pot Carrot Halwa

Carrot halwa also called as 'Gajar ka halwa' is a traditional Indian dessert made with grated carrots, ghee and aromatic cardamom and saffron.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil or vegan butter
• ▢ 10 carrots peeled and grated (About 6 cups packed)
• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 cup almond meal
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cardamom powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons raisins
• ▢ ½ teaspoon saffron
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sliced almonds or pistachios for garnish

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté(Hi) mode. Add ghee (or vegan butter) and grated carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes with the glass lid on.
• Add almond milk and close the lid with the pressure value set to sealing. Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook/Manual(Hi) for 5 minutes. Quick-release.
• Add sugar, almond meal, cardamom powder, raisins, and saffron. Mix well.
• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté(Hi) and cook for 5-7 mins until most of the liquids are evaporated. Stir frequently, making sure that the halwa does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Note: The halwa will continue to thicken as it cools down.
• Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios. Serve warm or chilled.

Video

Notes

NOTE:

To make dairy-free carrot halwa, substitute ghee with any neutral oil, coconut oil, or vegan butter

Love the traditional gajar ka halwa? Here are few tips to easily change the recipe for that:

1. Use regular milk instead of almond milk
2. Substitute almond meal with khoya(mawa), non-fat dairy milk powder, or ricotta cheese
3. You can also use milkmaid or condensed milk instead of almond meal Since condensed milk is sweetened, make sure to reduce the sugar substantially

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 16985IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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