Instant Pot Gajar Halwa (Gajrela)
Rich North Indian carrot pudding made in the Instant Pot with ghee, cardamom, and toasted nuts. Pressure cooking softens the carrots; a final Sauté roast delivers deep color and jammy texture.
Equipment
- Instant Pot (6-quart or larger)
- Box grater (large holes)
Ingredients
For frying and finishing
- 2.5 tablespoons ghee divided; use vegan butter or coconut oil if needed
- 8 raw cashews broken into pieces
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
For the halwa base
- 500 grams carrots about 3 heaping cups tightly packed grated; red preferred, orange OK
- 3/4 cup whole milk warm if your kitchen is cold; oat milk for vegan
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste after first stir
- 1/4 cup milk powder optional; or 2 tablespoons crumbled khoya or almond flour
Instructions
Prep carrots and aromatics
- Wash, peel, and grate carrots on the large holes of a box grater. Do not use a food processor; you want shreds, not mush.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). When the display reads Hot, add 1 tablespoon ghee. Add cashews and raisins. Stir 45 to 60 seconds until cashews are lightly golden and raisins puff. Transfer nuts to a small bowl.
Build the base
- Add grated carrots to the pot. Sauté 2 minutes, stirring, until they smell sweet and lose their raw edge.
- Pour in milk and stir to deglaze. Secure the lid, valve to Sealing. Pressure Cook on High for 4 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 2 minutes, then Quick Release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid and stir; carrots should be very soft and sitting in thin milk.
Reduce and sweeten
- Press Sauté (Normal). Stir in sugar. Cook 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture looks syrupy.
- Stir in milk powder (or khoya or almond flour if using). Keep stirring 4 to 5 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the halwa looks thick.
- Add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons ghee. Mix well.
Ghee roast (do not rush)
- Stay on Sauté 8 to 10 minutes more, stirring every minute or two, until the halwa deepens to a brick-red color, the ghee shimmers at the edges, and the mix pulls away from the pot when you drag a spoon through the center.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in cardamom and the reserved fried cashews and raisins. Rest 2 minutes, then serve warm.
To serve
- Spoon into small bowls. Garnish with a few extra cashews if you like. Halwa firms as it cools; reheat gently with a splash of milk.
Notes
Hand-grated carrots give the best texture. Processor-grated carrots release too much water and can turn gluey.
Serve warm. Ghee sets as it cools; microwave in short bursts with a spoon of milk to loosen leftovers.
Store airtight in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Flavor is best the day you make it.
Vegan swap: coconut oil for ghee, plain oat milk for whole milk, skip milk powder or use almond flour.
If milk curdles during pressure cooking, deep-clean the silicone ring or use a sweets-only ring; try cooking carrots with 1/4 cup water first, then add warm milk on Sauté after release.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!