Carrot Burfi | Gajar ki Burfi can be best described as Carrot Fudge. This burfi or barfi is a fudge-like variation of the classic sweet-dish, called Gajar ka Halwa, from the region of Punjab, in the Indian subcontinent. It is made by slow-cooking grated carrots with milk, ghee, nuts and sugar. I saute the cooked carrots till they are dry enough to form a fudge like consistency.
My Healthier Spin on this Carrot Dessert Recipe
In this Indian sweet recipe, I have made this dessert healthier (and guilt-free), by substituting half the milk powder with Almond Flour
. Adding almond meal, boosts the protein content of the dish and makes this dessert lighter as compared to the full-dairy version. You can customize it further, and make this dairy-free by substituting ‘milk with Almond Milk’, ‘milk powder with Almond Flour‘, and, ‘ghee with coconut or refined olive oil’.
Great Finger Food for Entertaining
The best part of making this Carrot Burfi, is that it is a finger-food, no utensils required to eat this, which makes this great for serving at parties. Its a regular finger food for our Diwali get-togethers. This can be made-ahead a few days in advance and refrigerated.
The bigger advantage for me is, that these small individual size squares work great for portion control for me. It lets me enjoy this delicacy without over-indulging, which is really easy in this case 😉
Tips to Cut Cooking Time in Half for Gajar ki Burfi / Barfi
Normally, Gajar ki burfi would take much longer on the stove-top, plus I would have 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!
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 Indian Sweet Desserts to enjoy
Here are some other Indian desserts that I love to make and my family really enjoys.
 Sooji Sheera (Semolina Pudding) |  Kesar Badam Halwa |
 10-Minute Coconut Laddoo |  Easiest Besan Laddoo |
 Gajar ka halwa |  Deep Fried Gujiya |
 Kheer, Rice Pudding |  Baked Gujiya |
 Nankhatai (Almond Spice Cookies) |
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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
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!
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