Carrot Halwa Recipe | Gajar ka Halwa

Ingredients

• ½ kg carrot (gajar)(500 grams) (prefer young carrots)
• 2 cups milk (1 cup for Instant pot)
• ½ cup sugar (+ 2 tbsp optional) (prefer organic)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (or 4 pods skinned & powdered)
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

optional ingredients

• 20 mixed nuts 10 pista, 5 cashew & 5 almonds
• 2 tablespoons raisins optional

Steps

Preparation

1. Wash the carrots under running water and peel them.
2. Grate with a food processor or a hand grater.
3. Dry-roast the nuts over low heat until crunchy, then cool and chop. Alternatively, chop first and fry in 1 tbsp ghee until slightly golden, then add the raisins and fry until plumped. Transfer to a plate.

How to Make Carrot Halwa

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep pan.
2. Add the grated carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring often. Stay with the pot to prevent the milk from scorching.
3. Once the milk has evaporated completely, stir in the sugar thoroughly. It will release plenty of moisture and make the carrot halwa gooey.
4. Cook until half the moisture has evaporated, then mix in the ghee.
5. Saute the halwa well in the ghee until the moisture is completely gone.
6. The finished halwa should be aromatic and thickened while still moist; overcooking makes it dry. Sprinkle in the cardamom powder.
7. Garnish with nuts and serve the carrot halwa warm or chilled with ice cream.

Instant Pot Gajar ka Halwa

1. Press saute and put 1 tbsp ghee in the Instant Pot steel insert.
2. Once hot, fry the nuts until light golden. Add raisins if using and, when plumped, take them out onto a plate.
3. Add the carrots and saute for 2 to 3 mins, stirring well.
4. Mix in 1 cup milk and deglaze by scrubbing the pot bottom with a spatula.
5. Secure the Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to sealing. Press pressure cook (manual) and set the time to 3 mins.
6. When the Instant Pot beeps and finishes, carefully release the pressure manually.
7. Mix in the sugar, ghee, and cardamom powder. Press saute and saute until the milk has evaporated completely.
8. Finish the gajar halwa with chopped nuts and raisins.