• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ministry of Curry logo

  • SHOP
    • The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Amazon Store
    • eBooks
    • Cooking Classes
    • Meal Plans
  • RESOURCES
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Indian Cooking Tools
    • Cooking 101
    • Essential Indian Spices
    • Guide to Beans and Lentils
    • Holiday Shopping Guide
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Oven Recipes
    • Stove Top Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Salad
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Vegan
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • Cooking Classes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Indian Festival Foods

    Instant Pot Sweet Potato Halwa

    Published: Nov 16, 2017 · Modified: May 5, 2021 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 24 Comments

    396 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Delicately flavored and lightly sweetened sweet potato halwa is a perfect dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dinner. With melt-in-mouth creamy sweet potatoes and aromatic cardamom and saffron, this halwa is easy to make in the Instant Pot.

    sweet potato halwa served in a white bowl with a spoon next to it

    Sweet Potatoes are a must-have root vegetable in my kitchen. From adding it to curries and dal to homemade Indian bread, I love using nutrient-rich sweet potatoes in my cooking. Traditionally sweet potato is also a "fasting" approved vegetable in India.

    This 4th of July also happened to be an Indian festival of "Ashadhi Ekadashi" that is celebrated by fasting or eating special foods. I have always enjoyed the special fasting foods. This year will be particularly special as I can cook and enjoy a special meal with my mom.

    Our menu included my favorite crispy non-fry Sabudana vada with a yogurt & peanut chutney and refreshing ginger lemonade. Mom also made this heavenly sweet potato halwa that is fiber-rich and loaded with nutrients.

    peeled and sliced sweet potatoes

    Why we love this Sweet Potato Halwa

    • good source of fiber and vitamins, with a lower glycemic index
    • gluten-free
    • Make it vegan by using oil and nut milk
    • make ahead recipe
    • fasting friendly for my Indian followers
    • easy and quick
    sweet potato halwa in a white bowl garnished with nuts and shredded coconut

    I loved that mom used the Instant Pot to make the halwa instead of her traditional stovetop recipe. We were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful textures in Instant Pot with half the cooking time.

    Instead of individually shredded the sweet potatoes which can be time-consuming, we sliced the sweet potatoes. Then added the remaining ingredients and pressure cooked for 3 mins. The halwa came out creamy and luxurious with half the effort and everyone loved the flavors.

    Here is a quick video showing how mom made it:

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    sweet potato halwa served in a white bowl
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.70 from 20 votes

    Instant Pot Sweet Potato Halwa

    A delicately flavored, lightly sweetened dish with melt-in-mouth textures and aromatics from cardamom and saffron.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons ghee Oil for Vegan option
    • 3 medium sweet potatoes washed, peeled and thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
    • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar more or less
    • ¼ cup grated unsweetened coconut
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 6 cardamom pods
    • 1 generous pinch of saffron
    • Optional Garnish
    • 1 tablespoon almonds and pistachio slices

    Instructions

    • Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Add ghee, sliced sweet potatoes. Add almond milk, brown sugar, coconut, salt, cardamom, and saffron.
    • Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Press Cancel and select Pressure cook(Hi) and adjust the time to 3 minutes. Allow Natural Pressure Release. Garnish with nuts and enjoy.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 13830IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
    Twitter Facebook Linkedin
    « Instant Pot Gujarati Kadhi and Khichdi
    Garlic Dill Lentils - Instant Pot »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. lathiya says

      July 06, 2017 at 4:02 pm

      Hands down winner recipe..looks scrumptious

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 06, 2017 at 4:42 pm

        Thank you Lathiya!

        Reply
    2. Laura says

      July 06, 2017 at 8:46 pm

      This looks amazing. Is 1/4 cup liquid really enough? I'm afraid I'll burn up my pot. The manual says minimum is 1 1/2 cups.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 06, 2017 at 10:33 pm

        Hi Laura! 1/4 cup of low fat milk or almond milk works well for this recipe. Sweet potatoes also have water content in it that helps build the pressure in the IP. Hope you make this recipe! Let me know.

        Reply
    3. chefkreso says

      July 09, 2017 at 7:13 am

      "A delicately flavored, lightly sweetened dish with melt-in-mouth textures and aromatics from cardamom and saffron" - you got me at this description 😀

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 09, 2017 at 12:49 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Vishal says

      August 13, 2017 at 9:09 pm

      I'm new to the instant pot, didn't really think something this easy could be so good! I only had desiccated coconut, and that worked pretty well. I'm also partial to cream over milk, so used 1/3 cup almond/ coconut half and half.

      The amount of sugar made it feel like a dessert that its intended to be, but I'm curious to see how much the sugar can be reduced without messing up the taste. I'll probably try 1/4 cup first, then maybe 1/8th.

      Also, I wonder if the recipe will carry over well with carrot. I still can't believe I made halva, thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 13, 2017 at 9:48 pm

        Hi Vishal, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this healthy dessert! You can def reduce the sugar to your taste. Here is my recipe for carrot halwa in the instant pot that is simple and delicious- http://ministryofcurry.com/carrot-halwa-instant-pot/ you can use regular milk and cream instead of almond milk and almond meal if you like!

        Reply
    5. Suneeta says

      November 08, 2018 at 2:38 am

      This sounds delicious, I can’t wait to try it! Curious if I could use full fat milk instead of nut milk (same amounts?) and cardamom powder instead of cardamom pods without messing up the taste or texture?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 08, 2018 at 3:21 pm

        Yes for both!

        Reply
    6. Sue says

      November 09, 2018 at 10:43 am

      Can’t wait to try this! If I make it beforehand what’s the best way to serve (bring to room temp, reheat in IP or microwave)?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 09, 2018 at 10:44 am

        Reheat in micorowave. enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Sarika says

      January 30, 2019 at 10:57 am

      if you want to make this for a diabetic - instead of sugar can you use an alternative? How much would that be (measure)

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2019 at 12:12 pm

        You can use any sweetener you like. I like coconut sugar and add it to taste. I would start with just 1 to 2 tablespoons. Add more in the end if needed.

        Reply
    8. Aruna says

      May 27, 2019 at 4:20 pm

      A recipe to keep!! Perfect!! But would certainly want to reduce the sugar a little bit next time. Archana, thanks again for yet another instant pot recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 29, 2019 at 8:05 pm

        You are welcome! thank you for the feedback

        Reply
    9. Varsha says

      June 01, 2019 at 9:45 am

      Lovely recipe! Can I try this without almond milk?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 01, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Yes absolutely! You can use water or low fat milk

        Reply
    10. Nazira says

      July 24, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      Just tried the sweet potato halwa & it was super yummy. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 24, 2019 at 9:21 pm

        Thank you for the feedback

        Reply
    11. Chaitrakokila Swamy says

      November 06, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      Sweet Potato Halwa has turned to be a favorite in our house. Kids want to have at least once in a week. So easy to prepare this sweet dish.
      Thank you for such a easy and tasty recipe!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 07, 2019 at 6:24 pm

        Awesome! It is healthy and delish!

        Reply
    12. smruti says

      November 09, 2021 at 8:39 pm

      i doubled this recipe because i had 6 smallish white sweet potatoes that needed to be used up. I used a mix of heavy cream and 1% milk bc i did not have almond milk, I did add a few extra tablespoons of milk just because I wasn't sure the liquid amount would be enough. I also added a little less than 2/3 cup brown sugar for the doubled recipe. The halwa turned out creamy, just sweet enough and delicious! I would make this again-maybe using the orange sweet potatoes to see if it makes a difference. I think the guidelines are very good5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 10, 2021 at 11:02 am

        Thank you Smruti!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

    Archana's Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

    SHOP

    Popular Posts

    • Mumbai Pav Bhaji
    • Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
    • Mushroom Masala
    • Homemade Pomegranate Juice

    Footer

    AS FEATURED IN

    ↑Back to Top

    Ministry of Curry

    Shop
    About
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility
    Contact

    Food and Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Cooking 101
    Instant Pot 101
    Cookbook

    MOC Pro

    Dashboard
    Meal Plans
    Virtual Cooking Classes
    Tips & Tricks

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Ministry of Curry

    396 shares
    • 68