October 11, 2018

Pumpkin Halwa | Kaddu ka Halwa Recipe

Name: Pumpkin Halwa | Kaddu ka Halwa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 cups Pumpkin (Grated); 2 tbsp Ghee (Pure Butter Ghee); 1 cup Milk; 1/2 cup Sugar; 1 tsp Cardamom Powder; 1 tbsp Cashews; 1 tbsp Raisins; 2 tsp Melon Seeds; 3 tbsp Dessicated Coconut; 1 tsp almonds & Pistachios (optional) (sliced)

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Kaddu ka halwa / Pumpkin Halwa is an easy and exotic dessert made with the goodness of pumpkin, milk and flavoured with cardamom. The blend of cashews, melon seeds and raisins really adds to the uniqueness of the recipe.

Perfect autumn dessert

It’s finally time for that beloved fall classic Pumpkin! and time to stock up pumpkins, because I think we can all agree that there is no better way to really dive into fall than with sweet pumpkin filled treats and desserts. So here is the perfect autumn recipe Pumpkin Halwa – a sweet, full of fall flavours, perfect dessert to enjoy as after meal dessert or as evening snack.

Pumpkin Halwa is popularly known as kaddu ka halwa. There are hundreds of different types of desserts that are made from all kinds of fresh vegetables like carrots, squashes, beetroot. Halwa is one of the most preferred and deserved Indian dessert and occupies a special place in food menu of Indian festivals and occasions. There are more ways to make kaddu ka halwa/pumpkin halwa, with some people using cubes of pumpkin cooked in water, others adding consended milk or milk to cook them. I choose to cook grated pumpkin with milk to get the crumbs like texture rather than a smooth paste like texture.

One of the easy Indian sweets

Kaddu ka halwa is really an easy dish to make, but make sure to fry pumpkin until it begins to soften and raw aroma vanishes as pumpkin doesn’t cook any more after adding sugar. You will find pumpkin reduces down in volume as it cooks. Pumpkin cooks little quicker as compared to carrot and beetroot which usually takes long time to soften and requires constant stirring. You may add dry fruits like pistachios, walnuts as well along with cashews and raisins. So if you have a sweet tooth and want to try something different with this lovely vegetable this autumn season, give this a go, I am sure you will enjoy….

Here is the recipe with process shots and video.

Ingredients:

Gluten free

1 cup = 240ml

Pumpkin: 2 cups, peeled and grated

Ghee (Pure butter ghee): 2 tbsp

Sugar: 1/2 cup

Milk: 1 cup

Cardamom powder: 1 tsp

Cashews: 1 tbsp

Raisins: 1 tbsp

Melon Seeds: 2 tsp

Dessicated Coconut: 3 tbsp

Almonds, pistachios: 1 tsp sliced (optional) for garnish

Instructions:

Trim, peel,discard the seeds and and grate the pumpkin.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee on medium high heat in a frying pan, fry raisins and cashews for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, take it off the pan.

In the same pan heat remaining ghee on medium high heat, fry grated pumpkin stirring regularly for 5-8 minutes or until raw aroma vanishes.

Now add milk, heat gently and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cook for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently as the mixture thickens.

At this point, add sugar, stir well and cook for 10 more minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and reaches the desired consistency.

Finally add fried cashews, raisins and melon seeds, mix well and turn off the heat.

Garnish kaddu ka halwa with chopped nuts and serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:

Make sure pumpkin is properly softened before you add the sugar. The pumpkin doesn’t really cook anymore after adding sugar, so if it is bit raw before it will tastes bit raw when done.

Adjust sugar as pumpkin has a natural sweetness that comes out as it is cooked.

Hot kaddu ka halwa with a scoop of vanilla ice cream tastes good as well.

If you like this simple and easy halwa, you might also like Green Peas Halwa, Mango Coconut Burfi, 7 Cups Burfi.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 9 votes