Here’s a quick and easy gajar halwa recipe in pressure cooker. Made with red juicy grated carrots, sweetened with condensed milk, and infused with the rich aroma of ghee and cardamom. This classic Indian dessert is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes. Learn to make carrot halwa at home with stepwise photos and a quick video tutorial.
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I love making this gajar halwa, also called carrot halwa, during winter. This is when sweet, juicy red carrots are abundantly available here, and my whole family eagerly awaits to enjoy this delicious treat. Winter in India brings festivals and holidays and many Indian families love to make this festive dessert.
Who doesn't crave a warm bowl of classic Indian carrot halwa? But let's face it, we don't always have hours to spend on preparing a single dish. Traditional methods of preparing gajar halwa are time-consuming, but by using a pressure cooker and a secret ingredient, you can transform it into a quick and easy treat without sacrificing flavor. Love Indian desserts you may also like this Moong dal ladoo, Rava ladoo, Besan ladoo, and Peanut ladoo recipes.
About this Pressure Cooker Gajar Halwa with Condensed Milk
Ever wondered what gajar ka halwa is? Well, let me break it down for you. Gajar is the Hindi word for carrot, and halwa is the Arabic term for sweet. So, gajar ka halwa also called carrot halwa is a delicious sweet carrot pudding.
My mom’s gajar ka halwa holds a special place in my heart, made with hours of love and patience. She cooked grated carrots in milk until tender, stirring constantly. Sugar and ghee were then added, and the mixture cooked further. The entire process took 2 hours or sometimes more (depending on the quantity of carrots). The result was a rich, creamy, homemade carrot halwa, undeniably worth the effort.
But what if we could recreate that flavor magic without endless stirring? With a pressure cooker and a touch of condensed milk or milkmaid, I've managed to replicate the same taste of my mom’s rich, melt-in-your-mouth Gajar Ka Halwa in half the time with this easy gajar ka halwa recipe.
You may also like these other popular pressure cooker recipes from this website:
Ingredients Notes
This pressure cooker gajar halwa recipe is made with minimal ingredients and a quick pressure cooking method. Condensed milk or milkmaid is used here to replicate the traditional flavor achieved by cooking carrots (gajar) in milk for long hours. Check out the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and measurements.
- Red Carrots (Gajar) - Red and juicy carrots are the best choice for making this sweet. They are naturally sweeter than other carrot varieties.
- Condensed Milk - Condensed milk or milkmaid enhances the richness and creaminess of this Instant gajar halwa recipe. You can substitute it with khoya or milk powder.
- Sugar - Jaggery powder can be used as a substitute.
- Ghee - Also known as clarified butter, ghee adds richness and enhances the flavor of the carrot halwa.
- Cardamom Powder - It flavors the halwa. Most Indian desserts are incomplete without this traditional flavor.
How to make Gajar Halwa in Pressure Cooker
Prepping the Carrots
1) Wash the carrots thoroughly under running water. Remove the tops and tips of the carrots. Gently scrub or peel the carrots. Grate all the carrots & set aside.
Making Gajar Halwa in Pressure Cooker
1) Heat 2 teaspoons of clarified butter (ghee) in a pressure cooker over low heat. Fry raisins until puffed up and set aside.
2) Next, fry almonds until golden brown and set aside. Fry cashews until golden brown and set aside.
3) Add 2 more teaspoons of ghee to the pressure cooker and add grated carrots. Sauté the carrots on high heat for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
4) Pour in milk and mix well. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and cook for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
5) Open the lid and stir the mixture. Increase the heat to high, add condensed milk, and stir to combine. Adjust sweetness by adding sugar to taste (I have added ½ cup of sugar).
6) Continue to cook on high heat until the milk evaporates, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
7) The mixture will thicken. Add the prepared raisins, almonds, cashews (save some for garnish), ghee, and cardamom powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serving Carrot Halwa
8) Garnish pressure cooker carrot halwa with chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios & raisins. Serve hot & enjoy!
Why this Pressure Cooker Gajar Halwa with Condensed Milk is a Game-Changer?
In this recipe, condensed milk, or Milkmaid, is added to achieve the authentic flavor of gajar halwa when made in a pressure cooker. Traditionally, carrots are simmered in milk for hours until the milk reduces, resulting in rich, creamy carrot halwa. My recipe offers a quick pressure cooking technique that shortens this cooking process, resulting in a less creamy texture. So to restore the traditional richness making gajar ka halwa with condensed milk is essential.
You can even add khoya or mawa instead of condensed milk. I have an Instant khoya recipe that is ready within 5 minutes.
Tips to make the Best Gajar Halwa
- Use red, tender carrots to make the halwa.
- Grating carrots is time-consuming. You can use a food processor to save time.
- You can make this halwa without Ghee. But ghee makes the Halwa rich & enhances the flavor of Halwa.
- Condensed milk is already sweet. I have a sweet tooth so even after adding condensed milk; I have added ½ cup sugar to the halwa. You can reduce the quantity of sugar if you prefer less sweet.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make gajar halwa without using condensed milk. You can follow the traditional method.
You have to use 1 liter of full-fat milk for 1 kilogram of carrots. Mix the grated carrots & milk. Cook until the carrots become tender and the milk is reduced by half. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning the halwa. Once the milk has evaporated, add sugar and continue cooking until all moisture is absorbed. Finally, add ghee, nuts & cardamom powder & simmer for 5 minutes. Gajar ka Halwa without condensed milk is ready.
Condensed milk is added to reduce the cooking time of Carrot Halwa. By using condensed milk, you can bypass the lengthy process of reducing milk.
Use red, juicy & tender carrots for making the halwa. These carrots are naturally sweeter with lower fiber content. In India, red carrots are primarily available during winter. Their tenderness reduces cooking time and enhances the halwa's flavor.
You can also find orange color carrots in the market but they are not the right choice for making Halwa. They have more fiber & are less sweet compared to red color carrots. They produce a less desirable result.
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Recipe Card
Gajar ka Halwa in Pressure cooker (Carrot Halwa)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 kg carrots select red & juicy carrots
- 4 tablespoon clarified butter/ghee, divided
- 3 tablespoon raisins (Kismish)
- 10 almonds, chopped sliced, (Badam)
- 10 cashews, chopped (Kaju)
- 10 pistachios, chopped sliced, (Pista)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tin condensed milk
- ½ cup sugar (reduce the quantity, if you prefer less sweet)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
Instructions
Prepping the Carrots
- Wash the carrots thoroughly under running water. Remove the tops and tips of the carrots. Gently scrub or peel the carrots. Grate all the carrots & set aside.
Making Carrot Halwa in Pressure Cooker
- Heat 2 teaspoons of clarified butter (ghee) in a pressure cooker over low heat. Fry raisins until puffed up and set aside.
- Next, fry almonds until golden brown and set aside. Fry cashews until golden brown and set aside.
- Add 2 more teaspoons of ghee to the pressure cooker and add grated carrots. Sauté the carrots on high heat for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Pour in milk and mix well. Close the pressure cooker withthe lid and cook for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the lid and stir the mixture. Increase the heat tohigh, add condensed milk, and stir to combine. Adjust sweetness by adding sugarto taste (I have added ½ cup of sugar).
- Continue to cook on high heat until the milk evaporates, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- The mixture will thicken. Add the prepared raisins, almonds, cashews (save some for garnish), ghee, and cardamom powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Garnish pressure cooker gajar halwa with chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios & raisins. Serve hot &enjoy.
Video
Notes
- For pressure cooking carrots ½ cup milk is enough. Tender red carrots are juicy & will cook easily. If you are using carrots that are not juicy or have more fiber in them then increase the quantity of milk. (i.e. use 1 cup of milk for 1 kg carrots).
- Condensed milk is already sweet. I have a sweet tooth so after adding condensed milk; I have added ½ cup sugar to the halwa. You can reduce the quantity of sugar if you prefer less sweet.
- Stir the Halwa continuously after adding condensed milk & sugar.
- Grating carrots is time-consuming. You can use a food processor to save time.
- You can store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator but it is advised to consume milk & milk products within 48 hours.
- Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I’m Preeti Nayak, and with over two decades of hands-on experience in Indian cooking, I’m excited to share my passion with you. As the author, photographer, and editor behind every well-tested, family-friendly recipe on this blog, my goal is to help you cook with confidence and bring the bold, authentic flavors of India to your table.
Shreya
Amazing recipe !