Have you tried making Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot? It simplifies the traditional carrot halwa using the stovetop method, offering a fuss-free and reliable way to prepare this crowd-pleasing dessert. Also known as Gajar Halwa, this classic sweet is made from carrots and gently cooked into a rich, pudding-like treat, finished with fragrant ghee and fried dry fruits.

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Why you'll love this Carrot Halwa recipe?
Ingredients for the carrot Halwa in instant pot
Substitutions and Variations
How to make Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot?
Useful Tips
Related Recipes
Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot

Why you'll love this Carrot Halwa recipe?

Carrots are packed with all the good stuff and are a great addition to everyday meals. Turning them into a dessert is a delicious way to get picky eaters, especially kids, to enjoy them too.
Easy and hands-off: This is a true one-pot recipe that needs very little babysitting, making it quick and stress-free to prepare.
Perfect for entertaining: Carrot Halwa is a crowd favorite for parties and get-togethers. You can easily make it ahead of time and refrigerate it until needed. A great sweet dish indeed that will impress your loved ones and guests.
Versatile serving options: Enjoy it warm or chilled. If serving cold, top it with a generous scoop of ice cream for an extra-special treat.

Ingredients for the carrot Halwa in instant pot

Carrots, grated - use a food processor to grate them if possible.
Milk and Khoya (milk solids) or almond flour
Sugar as needed
Butter or clarified butter (ghee)
Nuts and Dry fruits like cashews, almonds, pistachios, raisins

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe uses butter, but you can also use clarified butter or ghee. I used butter and the quantity mentioned as is, but if you are calorie-conscious, you may want to reduce the butter or ghee used. If you are making and having this occasionally, I guess it's okay to indulge.
Khoya (dried evaporated milk solids) used in this recipe can be made at home or purchased from Indian groceries. If you are unable to find it, you can substitute it with almond flour or dry milk powder. This is used in making many Indian sweet recipes like the mawa gujiya recipe, milk powder peda, ricotta cheese peda, fried modak, and many others.

A delicious dessert made with carrots - Carrot Halwa

How to make Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot?

Making Carrot Halwa in the Instant Pot is incredibly simple and mostly hands-off. Honestly, the most time-consuming part is grating the carrots.

Start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add butter or ghee and fry the dry fruits until golden; remove and set them aside. Add the grated carrots and sauté for a couple of minutes.

sauteeing nuts and raisins in ghee in instant pot.

Step 1: Sauté nuts in ghee.

Step 2: Add grated carrots and continue the sauté.

Next, stir in the milk and sugar, then pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. Once done, release the pressure.

Step 3: Add milk and sugar.

Step 4: Pressure cook in manual mode for 2 minutes. Release pressure when done.

Switch back to sauté mode and add the grated khoya so it blends in smoothly. Cook the halwa, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the ghee or butter begins to ooze out.

Step 5: Switch back to saute mode and add grated khoya and continue cooking.

Step 6: Cook until it thickens and ghee or butter oozes out.

Finish by garnishing with the fried nuts and raisins, and your rich, flavorful Carrot Halwa is ready to serve.

carrot halwa in instant pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 7: Add the fried nuts

Step 8: Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy.

Useful Tips

The most time-consuming part of the recipe is grating the carrots. Using a food processor makes this step quick and effortless, so be sure to use one.
Carrot Halwa tastes out of this world. You can serve it as is. If you like to serve in combination with other desserts, the popular choices are vanilla ice cream or kulfi. They make a great pair. Serve it warm or cold.
Garnish with any fried dry fruits like almonds, cashews, or pistachios for that crunchy bite.
If you don't have khoya on hand, you can easily substitute it with almond flour or dry milk powder. This addition enhances the richness and creaminess of the dessert without compromising on flavor.

Some other popular desserts that will also impress your guests are rasmalai made with an easy rasmalai recipe, atta suji halwa, crispy karanji recipe, coconut burfi, and Instant Gulab jamun. For milk-based desserts, do check the rose falooda ice cream or mango sago with coconut milk.

If you tried this Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing from you!