Kheer or payasam is an essential part of every Indian celebration and festival. Our traditional meal always starts with payasam and it is what is served first on the plate or banana leaf. I have forever been making carrot kheer in a pressure cooker, but ever since Instant Pot made its way into our kitchen, it has been even easier. I cook the carrots and milk in the instant pot and finish it on the stove top, but we can do the entire process in the instant pot as well.
What is kheer or payasam?
Kheer roughly translates to pudding and people often mistake it to be a semi-solid dessert. Kheer in Indian cuisine is sweetened pudding and there are many different kinds. There is Rice kheer or pal payasam which is typically a little chunky in Northern India but on the runny side in South India. Then there is vermicelli kheer which is very popular next to Rice kheer. This is made with fine semiya or vermicelli or thicker ones. Essentially all of this is cooked in milk and garnished with different nuts and dry fruits. When it comes to Carrot Kheer, it is a smooth and blended drink. I like my carrot kheer smooth and skip garnishing with nuts and raisins. One other is Badam kheer or Almond payasam which I like smooth and it is very similar to Carrot kheer.
Why make this recipe?
First and foremost, it is my kid’s favorite kheer. I love to make it for their evening drink and they love it when I serve it chilled. It is very easy to make and tastes delicious. This is a perfect dessert to serve for any occasion. The beautiful color of the kheer is an added plus. You can make it with less sugar depending on your preference and it will still work in this recipe. Carrot has a natural sweetness and that will compensate for the reduced sugar.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Carrots - The start of this kheer is a carrot. Love using bright red carrots to make this payasam. Also, baby carrots work for this recipe as well. It is easier and we don’t have to chop them.
Milk - I use whole milk and evaporated milk in the carrot Kheer recipe. I love using a can/tin of evaporated milk in all my Payasam/kheer recipes. It adds richness without overpowering the natural flavor of carrots. If you don’t have evaporated milk, simply use 1 ½ cups more of whole milk to make the carrot payasam.
Sugar - I use regular organic white sugar for the carrot kheer. We can use raw sugar as well. I don’t like using brown sugar for this payasam as it changes the color of the kheer as well as the flavor.
Garnish - Garnishing is completely optional and I don’t add any as I like the consistency to be smooth. If preferred we can use lightly roasted nuts (like almonds and cashews).
Saffron - I love the flavor of saffron in desserts. This is again optional and can be totally skipped.
Cardamom powder - I add cardamom depending on my mood for the day. It adds a lovely flavor to the kheer, but it is not something that we absolutely need to add.
Step-by-step process to make it in Instant Pot
Peel the carrots and chop them into small cubes. Place it in a pot that will be able to fit inside the instant pot.
Add the milk to the carrots and place the pot inside the instant pot.
Make sure that the inner pot of the instant pot has an inch of water in the bottom and place the pot with that carrot on the trivet.
Close the instant pot and set it on pressure cook/manual for about 15 minutes.
Let the steam release naturally and then remove the cooked carrots.
Using an immersion blender, blend it very smoothly. If you don’t have an immersion blender, wait till the carrot mixture cools down and then grind it in a regular blender.
Transfer this mixture to a heavy bottom pan. I love my Dutch oven for this.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Also, add the evaporated milk (if using) or add more whole milk and mix well.
Let the kheer come to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
At the end add the saffron thread and cardamom powder.
Note - The amount of water used to cook quinoa in an open pot to Instant Pot changes. For the open pot method, we use 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa. In Instant Pot we use 1 ½ cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa.
Turn off the heat and garnish the kheer (if using). Serve warm or chilled.
The process to make in a pressure cooker
Peel the carrots and cut them into small slices. Pressure cook the carrots until cooked (3-4 whistles) with about 1 cup of milk.
Once cooked, let it cool down a bit, and then grind it into a smooth puree using an immersion blender. If using a regular mixer grinder, wait until the carrot/milk mixture has cooled down considerably. (You would not want a full kitchen clean up)
Transfer this puree to a heavy bottom pan and return it to flame. Add the sugar and mix it well.
Now add the evaporated milk and the remainder of the milk and let it come to a boil. Then simmer it for about 15 mins.
Meanwhile, dissolve the saffron strands in a little bit of warm milk. Once the kheer simmers, add the dissolved saffron thread and take it off the flame.
Garnish the carrot payasam with the nuts (optional).
Serve cold!!
Expert Tips
Use any kind of carrots available. Baby carrots are a wonderful choice for this kheer as it is easy to use and there is no prep work involved. Evaporated milk adds a subtle richness to the carrot payasam. If unavailable add about 1 ½ cups of milk more to the already mentioned amount. I did not add any nuts to the carrot kheer because I like smooth kheer. If preferred, we can soak about ¼ cup of almonds or cashews and cook it along with carrots for richer kheer. The quantity of sugar can be reduced depending on the sweetness of the carrots.
Frequently asked questions
More Kheer recipes
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