Gajar Halwa or carrot halwa is a classic Indian dessert made with – grated carrots, khoya (evaporated milk), milk, and sugar. This carrot halwa recipe is a family heirloom that requires only 10 minutes in an instant pot or pressure cooker and cooked without ghee.
About Gajar Halwa
Some dishes never lose their glory nor they are ever out of trend, one such classic dessert is carrot halwa.
The carrot is called ‘gajar’ in the Hindi language. Halwa in Indian cuisine usually refers to a soft-textured pudding-like sweet dish cooked in milk and fat, sweetened with sugar or jaggery.
Hence, carrot halwa is also known as gajar ka halwa.
The winter season in North India is incomplete without homemade gajar ka halwa or gajrela.
Carrots: The winter special juicy, long, deep-orange carrots are the soul of a deliciously perfect carrot halwa. These winter carrots have an altogether different taste and texture than the regular small carrots; with a hint of natural sweetness.
Texture: The texture of the gajar halwa is not completely smooth. It is a bit coarse. The carrots are grated manually (use the bigger holes of the grater) for the halwa to get that perfect texture and not done in a food processor.
USP Of My Carrot Halwa Recipe
Gluten-Free
Only 5-Ingredients Recipe
No Condensed Milk or Cream
No Ghee (Clarified Butter) Required
10 Minutes Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients Required…
Carrot – For making halwa start off with choosing the carrots that are tender and juicy. Avoid making this sweet dish when carrots are not in season. As the taste of seasonal carrots makes a lot of difference to the halwa.
Khoya/Mawa – Khova is a popular form of evaporated milk used in the Indian subcontinent. You can substitute it with unsweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, or heavy cream.
White Sugar – Feel free to use light brown sugar, jaggery, or if you are using sweetened condensed milk then skip adding white sugar.
Cardamom Powder – It gives a sweet aroma and taste to the halwa. If you do not have cardamom powder, crush 4 cardamoms using a rolling pin and use the same.
Milk – Adding milk to the recipe is optional. One should always use full-fat milk for this halwa recipe.
Watch Gajar Halwa Recipe Video
Step-By-Step Instant Pot Cooking Method
Instant Pot Carrot Halwa requires only 10 minutes this includes sauteing and cooking time.
Add grated carrot, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in the inner pot (images 1 & 2). Seal the lid. Set the PRESSURE COOK mode for 5 minutes.
Release the steam by moving the pressure valve to VENTING. Next, set the SAUTE mode for 5 minutes.
Add milk and saute the carrot halwa by continuously stirring to evaporate all the liquid (image 3 & 4).
Once halwa is completely dry, add the cardamom powder and crumbled khoya. Mix nicely. Carrot Halwa is ready to serve.
FAQ’s Related To Carrot Halwa
How many day can we store carrot halwa?
Carrot halwa can be stored for 15 – 20 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it for 6 months. Freezing the halwa is not a good idea because it loses its texture and taste. Do not leave gajar halwa with dairy products at room temperature for more than 1 – 2 hours.
What type of carrot is perfect to make Halwa?
In India, authentic carrot halwa is made using the long, red carrots available only during the winter season (refer video). However, you can use the other variety of carrots available in the market to make a carrot halwa. But pick your carrots wisely, check if they are tender and less fibrous, this ensures your halwa tastes the best.
Why does carrot halwa turn black?
Frying the grated carrots in ghee for too long often changes the color of the carrots to black. Cook carrots with milk until soft. Or if you store grated carrots in a plastic bag for too long, halwa might turn black.
Is carrot halwa gluten-free?
Yes, gajar halwa is a gluten-free dessert with ingredients like carrots, milk, khoya, sugar, ghee, and nuts there is no addition of gluten.
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Gajar Halwa Recipe (Carrot Halwa)
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 500 gram carrot
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 Cup Water, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 100 gram Khoya/Mawa
- 2 tablespoon sliced dry fruits (for garnish)
Instructions
- Wash, peel and grate the carrots. While grating carrot use the bigger holes of the grater than the smaller ones to have long strands.
- In a stovetop pressure cooker add grated carrots, water and sprinkle sugar on top do not mix. Close the lid and cook the carrots for one whistle over low heat. After one whistle, turn off the heat. And release the steam manually from the pressure cooker.
- Heat a heavy-duty pan. Transfer the carrots to the pan along with milk. Keep flame on low. Start roasting the carrots till all the moisture is evaporated/absorbed by the carrots and the halwa starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Add cardamom powder and crumbled khoya. Mix nicely. Keep on cooking the halwa on low flame stirring frequently for the next 5 – 10 minutes or till khoya is nicely combined with the carrots. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish carrot halwa with sliced pistachio and almonds. If you prefer, fry sliced dry fruits in a tablespoon of ghee for garnishing the halwa.
- Serve Gajar Ka Halwa warm.
Recipe Notes:
- Make sure to use big holes of the grater to grate carrots for the halwa.Â
- Avoid keeping grated carrots in a plastic bag or openly for a longer duration. Halwa might turn black.Â
- One whistle over low heat is enough to cook carrots and release their juices.Â
- While frying the halwa make sure the gas flame is always between low – medium temperature range.Â
- Continuously, stir the halwa while frying else it might not get evenly cooked.Â
- Do not add khoya (mawa) until carrots are completely dry or start sticking to the base of the pan.Â
12 comments
such sinful looking gajar halwa… drooling here…
Isn’t it a crime to post such sinful pics???? Drool Drool!
Hina… I totally agree, I too have faced this issue of turning the halwa into kheer everytime. But the real happening moment is, I bought carrot today to make halwa for tomorrow and guess what, you posted exactly what I was looking for. Call it telepathy or anything else… it actually hit, bang on time. I am so very grateful to you and your blog. Thank you so very much Hina 🙂 Sweets on the card *
I love Carrot Halwa and the pics are absolutely drool worthy!
In the U.S., any grocery store will have “powdered milk” (dried milk) in cardboard boxes, but it’s usually non-fat milk rather than whole milk. You might have to look online for powdered milk made from whole milk if that’s what you really want, or there are many Indian and other ethnic groceries in California that may well carry mawa.
Mawa is a kind of evaporated whole milk….which has had a lot of the water removed to make it thick
Here’s a recipe for making mawa yourself though:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Make-Kh…
I love sweet flavors in Indian dishes–I have never heard of this one before, but I’m so excited to make it! Any recommendations on accessing mawa? Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it here (but I will need to look for it–or Google it or something at least 😉 ). Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this easy recipe! I shall try it out soon
Great to hear! Please click a pic and share it with us.
Awesome video Hina!
Thank you Shiiju. Welcome to the blog after a long time! Hina