The delicious “Gajar Halwa” made easy using a pressure cooker…
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There she helps… 🙂 |
I had quite a bit of carrots sitting in my fridge and I had to finish it off. I checkedwith my colleagues whether they wanted halwa or kheer, and the response came in unanimous tone – HALWA! And it had been quite sometime since I had made it. Once I peeled the carrots and started grating it, my elder one, who was just up from her long sleep after her jet-lag came and asked me if she could grate the carrots. I was pleasantly surprised! This is the first time she has asked me if she could help and that too with household chores! I was kind of worried as our marble top is slightly high, made for tall people like me. 😉 My elder one is actually taller than her age category kids. I told her that her hands may ache. She gave me a disappointed look and told, “Ummi, I am bored, I want to do something!”
OK, fine, so that means I get rid of the work of grating carrots. Hehe… she went on to grate all except two. Her hands did finally ache! 🙂 But I was amazed at the speed she finished them off, I didn’t expect her to do it so fast. So going to say that maybe the halwa tasted awesome because her little hands had grated them and I was pestered for this recipe.
Updated with new pictures and better recipe on February 17, 2021 : When it is winters in the north side of India, we land up with some amazing red carrots from Delhi at such amazing prices that all you want to make and devor is some gajar ka halwa. I am never a fan of this dessert unless it is made at home. Somehow the home made version has a totally different flavor quotient to it when compared to what you get at the close by cafeterias. The only thing that makes me feel lazy is grating the carrots, which now gets done by the food processor. 😉
Despite having several other gajar halwa recipes on the blog – whether it is the microwave version, the one using condensed milk, the Tarka type or the low calorie version, this remains my favorite at any given point of time. It has got to do with the texture. I love that you can hardly make out the carrot and it completely gets cooked and mashed up, thanks to the pressure cooker. The recipe is also very forgiving – you can substitute a part of the milk and sugar with some condensed milk, or even add some milk powder for some added creaminess. I recently started adding safffron and rose water into my gajar halwa and I totally love the dimension it gives to the final result.
This post belongs to the intial time of blogging and looking at the picture of Rasha, my heart aches. She has grown so much off my hands, and somehow the whole scenario of the post is so much etched in my mind. Some beautiful and lovely memories it has, that doesn’t fail to bring a light smile to my face. I wish you could see my face as I type on this post… 🙂

Gajar Halwa | Indian Carrot Halwa {Pressure Cooker Version}
Ingredients
- 1 kg carrots (preferably the red variety) peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 600 ml milk
- 1/2 cup sugar as per taste
- A pinch of cardamom
- 2-3 tbsp chopped nuts I used cashes, almonds and pistachios
- 1 pack thick cream 175 gm
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute the grated carrots on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the milk, add sugar, cardamom and salt. Close the lid of the cooker and cook for one whistle on high whistle and keep on low for around 15 minutes.
- Switch off and let the pressure go on its own.
- Open the lid, switch on the flame to medium, add in the nuts and boil the mixture till the milk reduces and the mixture thickens.
- Keep stirring it in between to ensure that it does not get stuck at the bottom.
- Finally add the cream and give it a nice stir.
- Cook for another 5 minutes and switch off.
- Cool to room temperature and enjoy! If you love it chilled, then leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before devouring it. Yum!!!
Notes
My sugar levels are pretty low, so please increase it as per your taste! At times I add a pinch of saffron and a couple of tbsp of rose water for additional flavor.
Updated on January 29, 2022: Uploaded with a short video for this favorite recipe…
I ditto that 'I don't like to have bites in my carrot halwa and would rather bite into nuts' part. Totally like me 😀
The halwa looks delish and its so sweet that the little one grated all those carrots for you.
glad that u r like me priya… hehe… 🙂
I havent had a halwa in years now i must have one again
Navin
http://www.monthlyfreebiez.blogspot.com
thank u so much navin…
wow …..that looks so delicious. my favorite.
thank u so much sebeena…
little helpers always make a big presence in kitchen.Love u r version of carrot halwa.
thank u so much meena…
Looks sweet:)
thank u so much sireesha… 🙂
i like your version halwa in cooker…I'll try next time..
Thank you for visiting at my space…
Simply Delicious
http://welcometomyrasoi.blogspot.com/
thank u so much bhawna… 🙂
Like to read ur little scribbles…so sweet of ur daughter to help ummi ..hugs to her…ur colleagues are really lucky to have u 🙂
thank u so much vineetha… u can say that my colleagues are kind of my experiment lab… more than my fellows at home, they eat my food… hehe…
so sweet to c your kids helping hand,yummy halwa:)
thank u so much julie…
This is the first sweet i learnt to make on my own…..
glad to know that arthy… 🙂
Rasha is so sweet helping Mommy in the kitchen,masya Allah. May this be her little steps to more delicious meals in future! U know I never tried gajjar ka halwa? shame on me, as we always have stock full of carrots, Now your perfect halwa is the excuse to try;-)
InShaAllah Jehanne, i'm trying to get her interested, so that she enjoys it at a younger age unlike me who discovered the joy of it much later… there is nothing to be shameful of not making gajar halwa, there is always time for it…
Looks so sweet and delicious!! 🙂
http://www.rita-bose-cooking.com/
thank u so much rita… 🙂
mmm….looks inviting…Sweet kisses to those little hands… 🙂
thank u so much, nimmy… 🙂
looks sweet and inviting…
thank u so much saranya…
Love love this carrot halwa, irresistible.
thank u so much priya… 🙂
Loved ur lil one at work 🙂 And really sweet looking halwa 🙂
thank u so much chitz… 🙂
Hey.. I am also planning to make this…sure my second trial of ur recipes will be this………After publishing the first. ie….eggless caramel i will prepare and post..Insha Allah
thanks a lot shaain… maybe just make half, this was quite a quantity… and do let me know… 🙂 hopefully you will enjoy it…
Super!! looks yummy!!
thank u so much suja… 🙂
This is one of my favorites! Looks wonderful!
thank u so much asiya…
sweet and yummy..
thank u so much prami…
I actually don't like carrot halwa- but yours has made me rethink. Especially with the cream and nuts. And yes, the biggest peeve is the chunkiness of grated carrot, and you've solved that too, Ms. Raf- I'm getting out my pressure cooker !
On another note, no, I haven't forgotten your mail. I am working on the question part- quite dense I am, right?
thanks a lot tisa.. u seem to be like me, i hate carrot halwa where u see the carrot as it is… for me it should be all smashed up!!! i know u will not forget me, dear… pls take ur time… 🙂
This is the reason why daughters give up on helping moms once they offer to do then it becomes their chore heehhee… no mom is different including me…:))
c meena u shud understand, i din force her, she volunteered for it! 😉 i really don't want to take advantage of it bcoz i know how much i used to hate house work!!! hehe…
lovely dear and good to see little one in the kitchen with mom…its fun
thanks a lot divya… 🙂
deliicous halwa n Love to have a spoon..
MAha
i wish i could usha but it was all wiped up… i myself could eat only a couple of spoons!!! 🙂
Maha Allah you've got a really helpful daughter… gajar ka halwa looks delicious dear…. I'm a new blogger… Do visit my blog.. http://kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/
thank u so much nilu for your lovely comments… have dropped by ur page… 🙂
WOW …..Halwa looks delicious !!
Your Kids helping you so cute ……
ShrutiRasoi
Tandoori Pomfret
thank u so much sruthi… 🙂
Masha Allah,she looks so adorable.Hugs and kisses for dear rasha..:-)
thank u so much nisha… 🙂
Hi Rafeeda, your halwa look inviting. I've not eaten this. Thanks for sharing your recipe. best regards.
thank u so much amelia… 🙂
I just loved the pic of your daughter helping. And the halwa looks very different to one I prepare…. But still drooling!!
thank u so much julie… 🙂
Carrot halwa looks delish rafee, I have always cooked then in stove top, pressure cooker indeed makes the job easy 😁