Instant Pot Carrot Halva, or Gajjar Halwa, is a great Indian dessert that benefits from being made in an Instant Pot. Sweet, redolent with cardamom and just delightful. Much better than the restaurant Gajjar ka Halva that is mainly sugar and this version is healthier for you too!
INSTANT POT CARROT HALVA -GAJJAR KA HALWA
I have this wonderful memory from childhood It was a dessert made out of carrots, with a lovely milky taste, rich with cardamom and with the occasional bite of a sweet raisin or cashew. It’s a special memory and one I cherish.
But there are three problems with making it. One, it takes literally hours to make. Two, it needs a special milk solid called Khoya which isn’t widely available in the States. And three, it has a ton of sugar in it.
Not always having the time to track down the khoya, nor the desire to consume all that sugar, I had to come up with a different way of approaching this.
So, of course I turned to my handy dandy Instant Pot. The texture is a little different than halva made with khoya, but the taste is the same. I’m so excited to be able to make this so easily and happy to be able to share this with anyone who wants to try a hands-off version of Gajjar Halva.
Let me warn you: this recipe works, but when you open the pot you're going to be horrified and think you messed up because everything looks like a big curdled mess.
It's not.
Milk separates under pressure. But to me, this is what helps thicken up the final product. It actually acts like an ersatz version of Khoya, which is milk solids with the water evaporated out of it.
Just keep calm, stir it well, and you’ll find the milk solids get incorporated back into the dish, and thickens up the final product.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CARROT HALVA
- Melt ghee in your Instant Pot, and then add the cashews and raisins. Fry them until the cashews are golden brown.
- Add all other ingredients except cardamom and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Let it release pressure naturally.
- Open up the lid and do not freak out at the curdled milk. It will homogenize shortly. Just stir it up really well.
- Smoosh the carrots together a bit, and cook on Sauté for a few minutes to thicken the mixture.
- Add the cardamom and let it rest for a while to thicken up. This can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature.
- Feel free to pour in a little heavy cream or half and half if you’re trying to add fat to your diet–or taste to your life.
EQUIPMENT YOU MAY NEED
OTHER DISHES LIKE THIS
- Looking for another Indian inspired Instant Pot Dish? Try my Sweet Corn Chicken Soup.
- If you’d like desserts that taste like you spent hours, when your Instant Pot did the work you’ll love my Instant Pot Apple Cake.
- My Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Pudding is another Instant Pot dessert that is great for those on Keto or counting carbs.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 2 tablespoons Raisins
- 2 tablespoons cashews, raw and unroasted
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup Splenda, Truvia or sugar
- 2 tablespoons powdered cashews (you do this to add a little thickness to the milk)
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
Instructions
- Melt ghee in your Instant Pot, and then add the cashews and raisins. Fry them until the cashews are golden brown.
- Add all other ingredients except cardamom and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Let it release pressure naturally.
- Open up the lid and do not freak out at the curdled milk. It will homogenize shortly. Just stir it up really well.
- Smoosh the carrots together a bit, and cook on Sauté for a few minutes to thicken the mixture.
- Add the cardamom and let it rest for a while to thicken up. This can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature.
- Feel free to pour in a little heavy cream or half and half if you're trying to add fat to your diet--or taste to your life.
Video
Nutrition
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CARROT HALVA:
Roxana
I cant wait to give this a try, I had this dish for the first time a few weeks ago at a restaurant and loved it. My son, however, is allergic to cashews. Would you recommend subs for another nut such as almonds or will it do without?
URVASHI PITRE
Almonds or pistachios would make a lovely sub
Tumara Baap
Most of the cooking for this recipe takes place in the pressure cooker. This means minimal water loss. I wonder whether condensed milk in place of whole milk would also be a wise choice. In terms of milk solids, it would be a closer match to khoya. In a lot of desserts, from homemade caramel pudding to commercial chocolate bars, condensed milk yields a superior taste and textural mouthfeel.
URVASHI PITRE
You are correct it absolutely does. We don’t eat sugar though so I was trying to approximate something close. But if carbs/sugar are not a problem condensed milk would be the way to go
Lisa Saunders
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Any thoughts on where you can buy cashew powder? I keep seeing Cashew flour and cashew meal?
URVASHI PITRE
I actually just grind cashews myself into a powder. Fastest and prob cheapest too!
Medha
Hi Urvashi, I plan to make this for our weekend get together, I have a couple questions. Carrots usually shrink in halwa. How many cups do you recommend for 10 people? Also, how much heavy cream and does it replace cashew powder since it will be a thickening agent too.
URVASHI PITRE
I listed this for 6 servings, if you wanted to give hefty portions, let’s say 4 servings. You can triple this recipe. If you look in the recipe card, you’ll see where it says 6 servings. Just change that to 12 servings or 18 servings, and it will change all the other ingredients proportionately.
Medha
Awesome, thanks! And about the heavy cream vs cashew powder? Both? How much heavy cream and what step would you add it in, after it cooks while its thickening or with other ingredients during pressure cooking?
By the way love your book! Already made langar daal, spinach and black eyed peas and pulao. This weekend is gajar halwa and your famous butter chicken 🙂
URVASHI PITRE
I do add both. Cashew powder while it’s cooking. Cream after so it doesn’t split