Carrot Kheer or Carrot Payasam is a sweet preparation made with carrots, coconut milk, cashews, raisins and jaggery. This kheer or payasam is creamy and delicious.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Desserts, Sweets
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots (- medium to large, peeled and chopped roughly)
  • ¼ cup water (- to blend carrots)
  • 3 to 4 green cardamoms (- powdered and crushed or ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder)
  • 1 cup coconut milk (- Thin or add water instead - check point 2 in notes below on how to thin coconut milk)
  • 1 cup Coconut Milk (- Thick)
  • ½ to ¾ cup jaggery powder (or add as required (depending on the sweetness of the carrots))
  • ½ cup water (- for dissolving the powdered jaggery)
  • 2 tablespoons cashews (- halved or whole)
  • 1 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 pinch rock salt ((edible and food grade), optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee (clarified butter))

Method

  1. Boil the peeled and roughly chopped carrots in enough water till they become soft and completely tender.
  2. You could boil or steam them in an pan, in a stovetop pressure cooker, or in an Instant Pot, adding water as required.
  3. Stir jaggery in ½ cup water and mix till the jaggery is dissolved.
  4. If there are impurities, then strain the jaggery solution.
  5. When the carrots are warm or cooled, blend them adding ¼ cup water in a blender to a smooth and fine puree.
  6. Mix the carrot puree, thin coconut milk, jaggery solution, salt in a pot or pan and keep on low heat.
  7. Gently heat through and occasionally stir.
  8. Don't bring the mixture to a boil.
  9. Just let it get heated.
  10. When you see steam vapours floating on top above the payasam, switch off the fire.
  11. Stir in the thick coconut milk. Mix well and set aside.
  12. In a small pan, heat oil or ghee.
  13. First add the cashews and when they start to change color, add the raisins and cardamom powder.
  14. On a low heat, fry the cashew till they turn light golden or golden and the raisins swell and become golden.
  15. Pour this whole mixture into the payasam and stir to mix.
  16. Serve the carrot payasam hot or warm or cold. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.