Carrot Burfi , or Gajar ki Burfi, is a fun and easy variation of the classic Indian dessert, Carrot Halwa. Grated carrots (Gajar), are cooked in flavored milk, then sautéed with almond flour till they form a fudge-like consistency. In this easy recipe, I reduce the cooking time and effort considerably, using a pressure cooker.
My Healthier Spin on Carrot Halwa
The recipe of Carrot Burfi is very similar to Carrot Halwa. I pressure cook grated carrots with milk and sugar, then saute them by adding milk powder till the liquid evaporates. In this recipe, I’ve made this dessert healthier by substituting half the milk powder with Almond Flour.
Adding almond meal, or almond flour also boosts the protein content of the dish and makes this dessert lighter as compared to the full-dairy version. This recipe can be made 100% vegan and dairy-free too. See notes below.
Great Make-Ahead Dessert for Entertaining
The best part of making this Carrot Burfi is that it’s a finger-food, no utensils required to eat this, which makes this great for serving at parties.
It make it often for get togethers in our home for Diwali, Holi and other Indian festive occasions. Carrot Burfi can be made-ahead a few days in advance and refrigerated. It’s best served at room temperature or cold.
The bigger advantage for me is that these small individual size squares work great for portion control. It lets me enjoy this delicacy without over-indulging, which is really easy in this case 😉
How to Make Vegan Carrot Burfi
You can easily customize this recipe to make dairy-free and Vegan Carrot Burfi, by substituting:
- Regular milk with Almond Milk
- Milk powder with Almond Flour, and,
- Ghee with coconut or light olive oil.
Quicker Recipe for Carrot Burfi
Normally, Gajar ki Burfi takes much longer on the stove-top, plus one has to baby-sit this dish the whole time. By using my electrical pressure cooker, Instant Pot, I cut that time in half, and I don’t have to stand by it for most of the cooking process.
The traditional recipe also calls for an equal amount of milk and carrots. The milk is reduced on slow heat, till it dries up, leaving behind the fudgy creamy milk solids, which add to the richness of the halwa. The end result is divine, but it does take a fair amount of time, babysitting and muscle power:-)
By substituting most of that milk with dried milk powder and Almond meal, I am able to cut down on that active cooking time, without losing the texture and taste. Dare I mention, I used non-fat milk powder, so I saved a few calories too!
What is Almond Meal or Almond Flour
Almond meal is basically almonds ground to a powdery consistency. A finer blend called Almond Flour is also a great option in this recipe.
It is available in most supermarkets, and on Amazon too. But, if you cannot find it, simply grind whole almonds into a powder, using a spice or Coffee Bean Grinder.
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy the Gajar ka Halwa / Carrol Halwa recipe too! Slight variation in the recipe, but the end result is too hard to resist!
More EASY Indian Desserts from My Kitchen
- Carrot Halwa in Instant Pot
- Moong Dal Halwa (Indian Lentil Pudding)
- Kesar Badam Halwa in Instant Pot
- Kheer (Rice Pudding)
- Mango Cheesecake (Instant Pot /Oven recipe)
- 10-Minute Coconut Ladoo in Microwave
- Easy Besan ladoo in Microwave
- Baked Gujiya
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Gajar ki Burfi | Carrot Burfi (Carrot Fudge)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
- 4 cups carrots grated. About 4-5 large or 7-9 medium
- 3/4 cup milk microwaved for 1 min (I use 2%, can use whole milk too, or Almond Milk)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
- (I use a combination of milk powder and almond flour, you can use one instead. Adjust quantity accordingly )
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder : about 6 pods, de-seeded and crushed
- 1/4 cup cashews and almonds chopped
- 2 tablespoons cashews and almonds chopped for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Prep: Wash, peel and grate carrots. If using a box grater, use the large side. I use my Food Processor to shred the carrots. Chop cashews and almonds and keep aside.
- Turn on the instant pot to SAUTE mode, when it displays “hot”, add ghee or butter. Add chopped nuts and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. This prevents the carrots from turning mushy later. Add warm milk and sugar, stir well. Adding warm milk ensures that the milk won’t curdle under pressure, and, speeds up the pressure building time significantly. Close lid and cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. Set the valve to Sealing position.
- Manually release pressure (QR) and open the lid after the pin drops. Turn on SAUTE (normal). Add milk powder and almond flour, and stir. Cook off the liquid, stirring every few minutes initially, and then every 30 seconds or so towards the end. This takes around 8-10 minutes. The actual time depends on the quantity you’re making. For this quantity, it took me 9 minutes to reach my desired consistency.
- Add cardamom powder and stir. Remove the carrot mix (fudge) in a parchment lined pan. Using the back of a spoon, or an Offset Spatula, spread it evenly and smoothen the top. Garnish with chopped nuts and gently press into the fudge, so that the nuts stick to the fudge. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove and cut into shapes of your choice. Enjoy with a cup of tea!
