Come festive season and halwas of one kind or the other are a must in most Indian households. So, with Dusshera on and autumn knocking on our doors, it seemed only fitting that (the not so common, at least in our household) pumpkin halwa be made.
Halwa is a dessert that you will come across in South Asia, but I have read that it originated in the Middle East. In fact, it is still a popular form of dessert in the region. It can be made using fruit, vegetables, and even pulses. Have a look at my moong daal halwa recipe.
With the pumpkin halwa, you also get the numerous health benefits of the pumpkin while having dessert! And if you love sweet like me, you will love this little advantage. I tried two versions – one with cow’s milk and another with coconut milk. It is amazing how different, but equally delicious both versions turned out to be. The pumpkin itself was quite sweet and I also replaced the white sugar with raw sugar and it gave the halwa a deep earthy flavor without making it too sweet. Scroll down for the detailed recipe. I have shared both versions. Let me know which one you preferred.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin (finely grated)- 1 cup
- Cow or Coconut Milk - 2 cups (You might have to tweak the amount of coconut milk based on the thickness of the coconut milk)
- Ghee (for roasting the pumpkin)-3 tablespoons
- Dry fruits (almonds/pistachios/Cashew nuts) chopped coarsely- ½ cup
- Raisins or sultanas-10-12
- Raw sugar- ½ cup or to taste if you like your halwa sweeter
- Saffron- One pinch
- Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
- Dried rose petals-4-6 for garnish
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and when hot, add the dry fruits and roast on medium heat till slightly brown. Keep aside
- In the same pan add the grated pumpkin and stirring continuously on medium heat cook until tender. If cooking with cow’s milk you can keep this step short and add milk 5 minutes after sautéing for five minutes, cover and let the pumpkin cook with milk for another 10-15 minutes on low flame, stirring intermittently. However, if using coconut milk make sure the pumpkin is cooked through and soft before adding the coconut milk as coconut milk doesn’t take too long to get incorporated. Mix well and cover for 2-3 minutes
- Crush the saffron strands in a small mortar-pestle and steep in warm milk before adding to the milk-pumpkin mixture
- Add sugar and raisins and mix well and let the mixture sit covered for another two minutes before turning off the flame
- Add the nuts and cardamom powder and mix well. Serve hot garnished with dried rose petals
Notes
Calories (per serving)- 250 Nutrition-Vitamin A/ Beta-carotene/Vitamin C/Vitamin E It does wonders for your- Heart/Eyes/Skin/Blood Pressure This is “My 8am/10am Meal
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Moong Dal Halwa – OneWholesomeMeal
October 30, 2020 at 4:24 pm[…] this dessert their own. The recipe was adapted to make halwa out of even vegetables like gourd and pumpkin. Carrot, semolina, moong dal, and whole wheat flour being some other popular varieties. What is […]