Carrot Halwa or Gajar ka halwa is a rich Indian dessert recipe made with fresh carrots, milk, and sugar with a generous amount of ghee in an Instant pot Pressure cooker or stovetop.
I have prepared this carrot halwa recipe in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT
How to make Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot
Take 8 large carrots, peel the skin and grate them using a grater or food processor. I have used a thick shredder/grater attachment.
Sanitize the Instant Pot parts well before making the sweet dish.
Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee into the POT. Then add the shredded carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of carrots disappears.
Add milk and mix well.
Close the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 5 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, do a QUICK RELEASE. Open the lid and turn the pot to SAUTE(HIGH) again.
Then add sugar, almond meal, cardamom powder, remaining ghee, and cook until all the milk has been reduced (evaporated). It approximately takes another 5-6 minutes.
Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios.
Serve Instant pot pressure cooker carrot/gajar ka halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- In a stovetop pressure cooker, add 1 tablespoon of ghee into the pot, once hot then add the shredded carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of carrots disappears.
- Add milk and mix well. Close the lid. Place a whistle and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
- After pressure has released naturally, open the lid and add sugar, almond meal, cardamom powder, remaining ghee and cook until all the milk has been reduced (evaporated). It approximately takes another 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios. Serve carrot halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.
Variations & Tips
- Can replace sugar with jaggery or brown sugar.
- If you don't have cardamom, replace it with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- I highly recommend adding sugar after the pressure cooking, sometimes impurities in the sugar can curdle the milk and spoil.
- To make the gajar halwa richer you can add condensed milk after the pressure cooking and adjust sugar quantity accordingly or add khoya/khova instead of almond meal.
- If you are not adding almond flour or khoya you can increase the amount of milk while pressure cooking carrots.
- Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert, lid, and sealing ring before making sweet to avoid curdling of milk. I always keep an extra sealing ring for sweets separately.
FAQs
Yes, replace dairy milk with almond milk and ghee with coconut oil.
More Instant Pot Dessert recipes
- Rice Kheer
- Badam Halwa Recipe (with Almond Flour)
- Semiya Payasam (Vermicelli Kheer)
- Moong Dal Payasam
- Makhana Kheer
- Beetroot Halwa
Check out for more 12+ instant pot Indian dessert recipes from my blog.
Instant pot Carrot Halwa - Pressure Cooker
Equipment
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 4 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) OR coconut oil
- 5 cups carrot (fresh & tender) ,shredded (about 8 large carrots)
- 1 cup milk (full fat preferable) OR almond milk
- ½ to ¾ cup sugar (adjust as per your taste)
- ½ cup almond meal OR khova ,optional but recommended
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2-3 tablespoon sliced almonds or pistachios
Instructions
- Take 8 large carrots ,peel the skin and grate them using grater or food processor.I have used thick shredder/grater attachment.
Instant Pot Method:
- Sanitize the Instant Pot parts well before making the sweet dish.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee in to the POT.
- Then add the shredded carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until raw smell of carrots disappear.
- Add milk and mix well.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to sealing position.Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set timer to 5 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps,Do a QUICK RELEASE.Open the lid and Turn the pot to SAUTE(HIGH) again.
- Then add sugar, almond meal ,cardamom powder ,remaining ghee and cook until all the milk has been reduced(evaporated).It appx takes another 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios.Serve carrot halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.
Stove Top Pressure Cooker Method:
- In a stove top pressure cooker ,add 1 tablespoon of ghee into the pot ,once hot then add the shredded carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until raw smell of carrots disappear.
- Add milk and mix well.Close the lid.Place a whistle and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
- After pressure has release naturally ,open the lid and add sugar, almond meal ,cardamom powder ,remaining ghee and cook until all the milk has been reduced(evaporated).It appx takes another 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios.Serve carrot halwa hot, warm or you can also serve it cold.
Notes
Variations & Tips
- Can replace sugar with jaggery or brown sugar.
- Vegans can replace dairy milk with almond milk and ghee with coconut oil.
- If you dont have cardamom ,replace with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- I highly recommend adding sugar after the pressure cooking ,sometimes impurities in the sugar can curdle the milk and spoil.
- To make the carrot halwa more rich you can add condensed milk after the pressure cooking and adjust sugar quantity accordingly or add khoya/khova instead of almond meal.
- If you are not adding almond flour or khoya you can increase amount of milk while cooking carrots.
- Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert ,lid and sealing ring before making sweet to avoid curdling of milk.I always keep an extra sealing ring for sweets separately.
- You can also add other dry fruits like cashew-nuts, raisin, pistachios.
Nutrition
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