Instant Pot Gajar Halwa (Carrot Halwa Without Khoya)

This instant pot gajar halwa or carrot halwa is a very popular Indian dessert made with a few basic ingredients like fresh grated carrots, whole milk, ghee, sugar, cardamom, and nuts. No khoya (milk solids), but it is every bit as delicious as the one with khoya!

About Gajar Halwa

Gajar halwa (carrot halwa) is a hit with most people at all times of the year, but it is especially in demand during Indian festivals like Diwali, Holi and Eid. These are the occasions when you really get to indulge with desserts like rasgullas, kheer, badam barfi and seviyan (sheer khurma).

In India, gajar halwa is also made in the winter months since carrots, especially red ones, are available in abundance. These carrots lend a deep, vibrant colour to the halwa that intensifies when the halwa is roasted in ghee and sugar. In case you're wondering, I did manage to find red carrots, right here in an Indian grocery in Edmonton!

At this point, a little bluntness is in order;) Traditional Indian desserts like halwa are not for the faint-hearted as they do have liberal amounts of fat and sugar. (Did you wince already?)

However, have it once and your senses are going to explode in delight, I can promise you that! It's that intensely addictive combination of milk, sugar and pure ghee that creates the magic. And like I always say, if you behave yourself and eat healthy MOST of the time, you can indulge once in a while.

Inspired? Check out these halwa recipes too: Moong dal halwa, besan halwa, and sheera (semolina halwa).

Why use the instant pot for this recipe?

Good question. While the halwa can be made on the stovetop (our mothers and grandmothers did it), I find using a modern appliance like an instant pot simplifies the process. You don't have to watch the carrots simmer in milk for ages, always afraid that the whole thing will boil over if you look away. Imagine the mess 😮

One clarification is in order here though. While pressure cooking the carrots in milk does take care of this part of the recipe (a major part), you will still have to roast the halwa by hand on sauté once the carrots are finished cooking in the milk. This is not a dump and go recipe where the halwa will emerge in its final glory as soon as you open the pot!

Ingredients

INGREDIENT NOTES

Carrots: Choose red Indian carrots if you can find them. They are usually available in Indian grocery stores and have a reddish hue compared to the orange carrots found in North America. That being said, if they are not easily available, you absolutely can make the halwa with orange carrots.. I have made it dozens of time.

Whole Milk: If you want a deep rich taste, go for whole milk only, not skimmed or partly skimmed or fat-free.

Sugar: I use white granulated sugar, but you can use raw sugars like turbinado as well. Avoid using tightly packed sticky brown sugars as they have a distinct taste of their own.

Ghee: Ghee imparts a wonderful aroma to desserts, and it is always my choice of fat while making halwa. Don't be afraid to use it!

Cardamom powder: I like to grind my own as the fine powders you find in the supermarket don't have any flavour in them. Makes a lot of difference.

Almond and cashew paste: This is the substitute for khoya in the this recipe. This freshly prepared paste adds a subtle richness and depth to the halwa, essential to any great tasting halwa, in my opinion.

Garnishes (slivered almonds and pistachios): I don't bother making these from scratch although you can if you have the time. These are so easily available in most groceries and supermarkets.

Instructions

Broadly speaking, there are four steps to making this recipe. These steps are described in detail in the recipe card, but here is a brief overview so that you understand the process.

1. Prepping the ingredients: Grate the carrots, soak and grind the almonds and cashews in water to make the almond-cashew paste, and crush the cardamom seeds.

2. Cooking the carrots in milk: This is the easiest step. Just put the carrots and milk in the instant pot, set it, and walk away.

3. Drying the excess liquid: An important step, without which you will run into difficulties with the halwa. After opening the pot and before adding the other ingredients, you need to cook off the excess liquid so that the carrots and milk get melded together and the mixture is relatively dry.

4. Roasting the carrot and milk mixture in ghee and sugar: This is the fun part. As you add all the good stuff (ghee, sugar, nut paste, and cardamom) and roast the carrots and milk in your instant pot, the dull and lumpish looking mixture will slowly turn dark and glossy and transform into a delectable halwa. And oh, the aroma! Your kitchen will smell wonderful too, guaranteed!

Top Tips

1. Grate the carrots in a food processor, not a box grater: It takes forever to grate carrots by hand, and it's totally exhausting, so don't even think about it! It's easier to put chopped carrots in a food processor and be done with it. You will get finely grated carrots in 5 minutes.

2. Measure the grated carrots in cups, tightly packed: This recipe calls for 8 US cups of tightly packed grated carrots.

3. Use full-fat milk only: This is what gives the halwa its flavor and taste. Don't use skimmed or fat-free milk.

4. Dry all the liquid after you open the pot: Ghee, sugar and the rest of the ingredients should be added to the halwa only then. If you add them without reducing the liquid, it will take a lot of time for the halwa to get that glossy look and thick consistency.

5. Make this carrot halwa in pure ghee: I don't recommend anything other than pure ghee, certainly not any kind of oil. All halwas are traditionally made in ghee which imparts a wonderful, nutty aroma to the dessert.

📖 Recipe