Instant Pot Gajar Halwa

Gajar halwa is a cardamom-scented carrot pudding traditionally made during winter in India. Decadent, fudgy and utterly delicious, this Instant Pot Gajar Halwa is an easy way to make this much-loved Indian dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 304kcal

Author Shinta

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

650 grams or 1.4 pounds carrots shredded (use a food processor to shred or optionally, grate the carrots)
2 tablespoons ghee
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ cup raisins
⅓ cup cashews
¾ can of condensed milk 1 can = 14 oz or 397 grams (see notes for substitution)
¼ cup milk
A few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Turn on the Instant Pot in ‘Sauté’ mode. Add the ghee and let it heat for a minute. Then add the shredded carrots, cashews and raisins and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Then add the condensed milk along with the milk, followed by the cardamom powder and the saffron-infused milk. Give all the ingredients a few stirs to combine well.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and pressure cook on Low Pressure for 7 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot has finished the pressure-cooking cycle, hit 'Cancel' and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid of the Instant Pot add a pinch of salt and mix well. I like to leave the halwa in the Instant Pot with the lid open for a few minutes more, the residual heat will rid the halwa of any remaining liquid so that it reaches the right fudge-like consistency.

Notes

Sweetened condensed milk can be replaced with unsweetened condensed milk, if you would like to adjust the level of sweetness in the recipe.
Optionally, you can also replace the condensed milk with 11/4 cup of full fat milk and sugar 1/3 cup of sugar.
For a vegan version of gajar halwa, replace the milk and condensed milk with 1/2 cup each of almond milk and almond meal.

Nutrition