Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:15 mins CookTime:10 mins Cuisine: Indian
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A warm ‘HELLO’ to my dear readers!! 🙂 and ‘A HAPPY DIWALI’ to all those who are celebrating!! 🙂 ….
Diwali is a festival of lights, predominantly to eliminate the darkness (evil) and inaugurate brightness (good), in the form of lightning diya / deepam / lights.
Deepavali is a major Indian festival, celebrated for 5 consecutive days, comprising of Dhana Trayodasi, Naraka Chathurdasi, Deepavali Amavasya, Bali Padyami and Yama Dwiteeya.
Marking this auspicious occasion every Indian family makes several Indian homemade sweets and savoury items.
Every year, even I make few sweets and savoury dishes. So, here I’m sharing ‘Sweet Potato Halwa’ – One of the sweets that I made yesterday. Shall share other recipes soon! 🙂
Table of Contents:
Click to Expand / Collapse
- Possible Alterations for the recipe, ‘Sweet Potato Halwa / Chilakada Dumpa Halwa’:
- Other recipes from my blog:
- Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Sweet Potato Halwa / Shakarkandi Ka Halwa (Instant Pot, Stove Top)’:
- Prep work:
- Other Prep Work:
- Sweet Potato Halwa on Stove Top:
- Sweet Potato Halwa in Instant Pot Cooker:
- Tips & Storage:
- Result:
- Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:
- Recipe Card & Print:

Possible Alterations for the recipe, ‘Sweet Potato Halwa / Chilakada Dumpa Halwa’:
Vegan options: You can use plant based butter (store bought) in the place of ghee. And for milk, plant based milk like almond milk (or) coconut milk works best for this recipe.
To eliminate using milk: I wouldn’t recommend eliminating milk in this recipe. Using milk gives the actual creamy flowy texture to the dish. If not, the dish would be just like mashed sweet potatoes.
Alternative to Sugar: Adding same quantity of jaggery (or) date syrup (or) maple syrup will also work here.
Using plain potatoes: I didn’t try. And moreover, having that natural sweetness, sweet potatoes fit in the deal.

Other recipes from my blog:
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Dessert / Sweet recipes collection⇒ Desserts / Mithayi
Appetiser recipes collection⇒ Starters / Snacks
Traditional recipes collection⇒ Traditional Indian Festival Recipes / Panduga Nayivedyalu
Related Posts:




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Ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes – 2 (medium size) (1¼ cup mashed)
- Milk – 1 cup
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Ghee – [1 cup + 1 tablespoon]
- Cashew Nuts – 5
- Almonds / Badam – 5
- Raisins / Kishmish – 10
- Saffron / Kesar – 15 strands
- Water – ¼ cup
- Ground Cardamom / Elaichi Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Dalchini Powder / Ground Cinnamon – ½ teaspoon
- Ground Nutmeg / Jajikaya Podi – ½ teaspoon
Special Ingredients:
- Ground Nutmeg
- Saffron / Kesar
- Ground Cinnamon Powder

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Sweet Potato Halwa / Shakarkandi Ka Halwa (Instant Pot, Stove Top)’:
Prep work:
As part of the prep work, boiling the sweet potatoes is most importantly required.
You can boil the sweet potatoes on stove top (or) in an Instant Pot. I have given below both methods so check accordingly.
Boiling the Sweet Potatoes on Stove Top:
Into a sauce pan, add 4 cups of water. Put the sweet potatoes inside. Close with lid. Let them boil under high flame for 15 to 20 mins. Switch the flame OFF, remove the sweet potatoes and use as required.

Boiling the Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot:
Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet, over it place the sweet potatoes. Close the IP lid. Set the MODE to PRESSURE COOK, Pressure Level to HIGH, time to 5 MINS, turn the VALVE to SEALING.

Release the pressure naturally (NPR). Open the lid, use the sweet potatoes as required.

Other Prep Work:
Gather all the ingredients at one place. Add the saffron / kesar strands into the ¼ cup water.

Chop the dry fruits and nuts. Peel the boiled sweet potato and grate it. Keep aside.

Sweet Potato Halwa on Stove Top:
Put a thick bottom sauce pan / frying pan on stove top under medium flame. Add the tablespoon of ghee and dry fruits, nuts. Fry them until golden brown. Take them aside.

Put the pan back on stove top under medium flame. Add the boiled grated sweet potato and ½ cup of ghee. Let it be on flame for 2 mins. Keep mixing.

Now, add all the milk. Gently mix everything. Let it boil.

As the milk starts boiling and forms bubbles, add the sugar.

Soon add all these>> soaked saffron along with water, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon / elaichi powder and rest of the ghee.

When the bubbles start forming, switch the stove off, add the fried dry fruits and nuts. Give a mix.

Serve the Sweet potato Halwa in a small dessert bowl , garnish with dry fruits and a few drops of ghee. Done!

Sweet Potato Halwa in Instant Pot Cooker:
After boiling the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot as shown above, empty the pot.
Just follow the same method of ‘Making the Halwa on Stove Top’ as it is.
But you will have to use the ‘SAUTE MODE’ consistently until the end of the recipe.
Tips & Storage:
- I have a habit of adding more chopped nuts, as I like to have bites of nuts in every spoon. You might reduce the quantity.
- Adjust the sugar quantity as per your taste.
- The quantity of ghee used here is very much needed by the recipe. As sweet potato absorbs very quickly.
- Storage: This sweet dish stays good up to 2 days at room temperature.
- When stored in fridge in an air tight container it stays good up to 10 days.
- Just reheat before serving. No need to thaw.
Result:
- The aroma from the ghee is all that you can smell at first.
- Next the flavour from the powders of cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg covers up the earthy smell of the sweet potatoes.
- The natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes and the sugar we used, gives it the right sweetness of any dessert.
- Believe me, its a total melt in mouth Indian sweet when served warm for this cold weather.

Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:
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Recipe Card & Print:

Sweet Potato Halwa / Shakarkandi Ka Halwa (Instant Pot, Stove Top)
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker (for IP method)
- Sauce Pan / Vessel (for stove-top method)
Ingredients
- 2 count Sweet Potatoes (medium size) (1¼ cup mashed)
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1¼ cup Milk
- 1 cup Ghee [+1 tablespoon]
- 5 count Cashew Nuts
- 5 count Almonds
- 10 count Raisins / Kishmish
- 15 strands Saffron / Kesar
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom / Elaichi Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dalchini Powder / Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg / Jajikaya Podi
Instructions
PREP WORK:
Boiling the Sweet Potatoes on STOVE TOP:
- Into a sauce pan, add 4 cups of water. Put the sweet potatoes inside. Close with lid. Let them boil under high flame for 15 to 20 mins.Switch the flame OFF, remove the sweet potatoes and use as required.
Boiling the Sweet Potatoes in an Instant Pot:
- Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet, over it place the sweet potatoes. Close the IP lid. Set the MODE to PRESSURE COOK, Pressure Level to HIGH, time to 5 MINS. Turn the VALVE to SEALING.
- Release the pressure naturally (NPR). Open the lid, use the sweet potatoes as required.
Other Prep Work:
- Gather all the ingredients at one place. Add the saffron / kesar strands into the ¼ cup water.
- Chop the dry fruits and nuts. Peel the boiled sweet potato and grate it. Keep aside.
SWEET POTATO HALWA on STOVE TOP:
- Put a thick bottom sauce pan / frying pan on stove top under medium flame. Add the tablespoon of ghee and dry fruits, nuts. Fry them until golden brown. Take them aside.
- Put the pan on stove top under medium flame. Add the boiled grated sweet potato and ½ cup of ghee. Let it be on flame for 2 mins. Keep mixing.
- Now, add all the milk. Gently mix everything. Let it boil.As the milk starts boiling and forms bubbles, add the sugar.
- Soon add all these>> soaked saffron along with water, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon / elaichi powder and rest of the ghee.
- When the bubbles start forming, switch the stove off, add the fried dry fruits and nuts. Give a mix.
- Serve the Sweet potato Halwa in a small dessert bowl , garnish with dry fruits and a few drops of ghee. Done!
SWEET POTATO HALWA in INSTANT POT:
- After boiling the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot as shown above, then empty the pot. Just follow the same method of 'Making the Halwa on Stove Top' as it is. But you will have to use the 'SAUTE MODE' consistently until the end of the recipe.
Notes
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