Diwali is undoubtedly the biggest festival of Indian subcontinent. It is celebrated across the world now as Indian diaspora has now spread its wings.Here are some easy dessert recipes that you can make to celebrate it in style. Jalebi Fafda, air fryer vegan gujiya (karanji), mawa gujiya,peanut chikki(praline). Some great air fryer snack recipes are samosa pinwheels, patti samosa, fried moong dal, aloo paneer cutlets. These days fusion recipes are on the rise. Here is a carrot halwa cheesecake which makes you go wow!
I am sure no one can deny that traditional indian dessert look simple, but each Indian mithai has a great technique when you get down to make them.Rich Indian flavors are full of surprise, there is a delicate balance to each flavor profile. winter season can never be complete without a delectable gajar halwa recipe. Healthy gajar halwa is a popular Indian dessert which is loved by a lot of people.
This delicious recipe can be made vegan with almond milk or made with whole milk and milk solids like homemade khoya. You can also use ½ cup jaggery powder instead of same amount of sugar if you want to avoid white sugar for kids. Jaggery or palm sugar is good in Iron,though it has similar calories. Cheesecake is a classic dessert. Whether you have a no-bake version or a baked cheesecake. It makes the same carrot halwa recipe look wow for Gen Z, who are fans of cake and may not relish the traditional mithai so much. Other great fusion recipes are gulab jamun cheesecake, gulab jamun ice cream, rasmalai cheesecake, motichoor laddoo shots.
Ingredients
For gajar ka halwa in an instant pot:
- red carrots or Delhi carrots (if you do not get them, you may use orange ones)
- beetroot (adding it gives the red shade to halwa)
- full-cream milk / whole milk
- cream cheese
- cardamom powder / crushed cardamom
- sugar
- nuts optional
- ghee / clarified butter
For frosting:
- full fat cream cheese ( I prefer philadelphia block cheese not the spreadable one)
- sugar
- heavy whipped cream
- sour cream ( light sourness for the cheesecake flavour)
- rose water / gulab jal
- few strands of saffron, soaked in 2-3 tablespoon full fat milk.
- rose petals and chopped pistachios for garnish
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Beat the cream cheese with sugar first, add rose water,saffron with milk ,sour cream to the mix.Whip the cream and add it to sour cream mix.Once this is done ,pipe them in a small bowl and top with a layer of gajrela. Garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals.
Below are the detailed steps for instant pot carrot halwa:
- Grate carrots and beets in a food processor or finely chop in Vitamix blender. I do not get red Delhi carrots in Melbourne so I mix beets with orange grated carrots to get that red hue.
2. Heat ghee in an instant pot, add carrots and beets to it. Cook for few minutes and
Cook for 5 minutes on low mode, in an instant pot.
3.Add milk and sugar to it.
4. Add cardamom,Cook for 5 minutes in the instant pot pn pressure mode with the seal ON.
5. Do a quick release once it has cooked in the instant pot,start cooking in saute mode on medium heat.Add cream cheese.
6. Cook on medium flame for 15 mins or until you get halwa like consistency, stirring contiously between.
Optionally garnish with chopped pistachios,dark or golden raisins and cashews.
Let it cool until it comes to room temperature, before you layer your cheesecake.
Below are the detailed steps for cream cheese frosting:
- Add cream cheese blocks in a bowl of electric mixer.
- Add powdered sugar and start beating this on on medium speed until soft.
3. Add rose water to the mix once it is soft.
4. Also, add the saffron milk mixture and beat it for few minutes until its well combined.
5. In a seperate bowl, add the whipping cream.
6. Start beating with hand mixer or stand mixer until you get soft peaks
7. Add this whipping cream to the cream cheese mix.
8. Pipe the mix in a small bowls/jars with gajar halwa
For assembling carrot halwa cheesecake:
9. Place gajar ka halwa in an even layer, on top. Repeat with another layer of frosting. (You can make multiple layers depending on your jar.)
10. Garnish them with chopped pistachios and rose petals, refrigerate them for later use or serve instantly. They go fine in the fridge for atleast 2 days.
Related recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
gajar halwa shots | no bake gajrela cheesecake recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer
- hand mixer for whipping cream, or you can use stand mixer
- wilton icing tip
- piping bag
- glass jars
- can opener
Ingredients
For gajar ka halwa in instant pot
- ½ kg carrots
- 100 gm beetroot approx , ½ medium beetroot, optional, used only for darker color in case of using orange carrots.
- ½ cup sugar use lesser sugar if you sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups full-fat milk
- ½ cup cream cheese or condensed milk
- handful chopped pistachios or cashews for garnish, optional
For cream cheese filling
- ½ block cream cheese 1 block is 250 grams,use them at room tempreture
- 2 tablespoon sugar powdered
- ½ tbsp. rose water / gulab jal
- 50 ml heavy whipping cream or thickened cream for whipping,use chilled
- 4-5 strands Saffron soaked in 2-3 tablespoon milk.
Instructions
For instant pot gajar ka halwa
- Grate carrots and beets in a food processor or finely chop in Vitamix blender.Heat ghee in an instant pot, add carrots and beets to it. Cook for few minutes and
- Cook for 5 minutes on low mode, in an instant pot.Add milk and sugar to it.
- Add cardamom,Cook for 5 minutes in the instant pot pn pressure mode with the seal ON.Do a quick release once it has cooked in the instant pot,start cooking in saute mode on medium heat.Add cream cheese.
- Do a quick release once it has cooked in the instant pot,start cooking in saute mode on medium heat.Add cream cheese. Cook on medium heat for 15 mins or until you get halwa like consistency, stirring contiously between.
- Optionally garnish with chopped pistachios and cashews.Let it cool until it comes to room temperature, before you layer your cheesecake.
For cream cheese filling
- Add cream cheese in a bowl of electric mixer
- Add powdered sugar and start beating this on on medium speed until soft.
- Add rose water to the mix once it is soft,Also add the saffron milk mixture and beat it for few minutes until its well combined
- In a seperate bowl,add the whipping cream,Start beating with hand mixer or stand mixer until you get soft peaks
- Add this whipping cream to the cream cheese mix.
For serving
- Place a layer of gajar ka halwa on top. Make a layer of cream cheese on top.Add another layer of gajar halwa on top.Garnish them with chopped pistachios and rose petals, refrigerate them for later use or serve instantly. They go fine in the fridge for atleast 2 days.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Substitutions
You can also grind graham crackers or digestive biscuits and place it as the bottom most layer of the cheese cake recipe. Biscuit layer helps you make a full size cheesecake, in a cheesecake pan or springform pan.
You may make this recipe with moong dal halwa, motichoor ladoo or even mini gulab jamuns. Refer to Gulab Jamun cheesecake recipe for reference.
Variations
- You may use a teaspoon cardamom powder in the frosting, if you do not have saffron milk.
- If you do not have pista, you can use dry fruits of your choice. chopped fried cashews or almonds also works. You may even avoid nuts on the delicious carrot halwa as per your choice.
Equipment
- can opener
- glass jar
- stand mixer / hand mixer
- small bowl
- piping bag
- wilton icing tip
FAQ
The mixture is very runny. If the temperature of ingredients is too warm, it will not set.
Use heavy cream and full-fat cream cheese.
Yes until one hour.If you freeze for longer, it will be too solid.
Over mixing a cheesecake filling incorporates too much air, which the heavy base can't hold. That may make if rise and fall and change the texture. Water in the cream cheese comes out and that makes for a grainy texture u0026 wet filling.
Conclusion: carrot halwa shots takes your traditional dessert to a new level. No bake gajar ka halwa cheese cake is definitely a show stopper on your Diwali party menu!
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