Indian cooking is known for its carrot halwa ,and kala jamuns. However, there is another halwa one must taste Pumpkin halwa. Pumpkin or kaddu is a versatile vegetable. You can curry it or make a stew. Make a soup, a pie, tart and even make a dessert out of it. Be it kasi halwa, or a pumpkin cake, pumpkin sweet recipes always win you over. Also, it is a great way of using left-over pumpkin pieces. It is an easy vegetable to cook with. Pumpkins are naturally sweet. You can enjoy it as it gets creamy and sweet as it gets cooked. Kaddu ka halva recipe can be eaten during fasting periods of Navratri or saavan somavar. Making a sweet out of veggies makes it interesting. Making it with jaggery ensures its iron rich too. I love using pumpkin for pies and muffins too. However, that is for another time. You can also use green pumpkin to make a petha halwa if butternut squash /yellow pumpkins are unavailable.
Jump to:
This kaddu recipe is great for toddlers who would enjoy soft foods. Also, this kashi halva recipe has no sugar. Sweetness comes from veggie and jaggery. Jaggery is rich in iron too. It is always better to have jaggery instead of white sugar.
Ingredients
- pumpkin diced
- ghee /coconut oil if vegan
- water
- jaggery/ palm sugar
- Coconut flour/ desiccated coconut
- saffron
- salt
Equipment
- Sieve
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
- Cut pumpkin into smaller pieces.
2.Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker. Add pumpkin pieces to it. Cook until it softens. Add saffron strands & water. Pressure cook until one whistle. Optionally you may add cardamom powder too.
3. Mix well to mash the pumpkin pieces.
4. Add coconut flour/ desiccated flour to it. Mix well.
5. Add jaggery to it and mix well.
6. Strain it.
7. Cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes until it thickens.
Read the kaddu ka halwa recipe here
Pumpkin halwa recipe
Equipment
- pressure cooker
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 2 cup pumpkin diced
- 2 tablespoon ghee coconut oil if vegan
- ¾ cup water
- 2-3 tablespoon jaggery
- 2 tablespoon Coconut flour/ desiccated coconut
- 3-4 strands saffron
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker. Add pumpkin pieces to it with a pinch of salt.
- Cook until it softens.
- Add saffron strands along with water. Pressure cook until one whistle.
- Now, add coconut flour/ desiccated flour to it. Mix well.
- Add jaggery and mix well, strain this mix.
- Cook on a low flame for 10-15 mins until it thickens. Serve warm.
Fasting and Indian cuisine
You also hear so much hullabaloo about gluten-free foods nowadays. Indian Hindus do a lot of intermittent fasting. The west might have learnt this concept sometime back. However, this has been going on for centuries in our civilization. Indian cuisine has amazing recipes which are both cheap and wholesome. They are also amazingly gluten-free. Can be made vegan too. Some people regularly fast on either of Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays depending on their choice. Most people fast every Monday during Rainy season or saavan in Hindu calendar. Fasting helps you avoid weight gain. Also, it keeps gut healthy. Usually, people avoid rice and wheat. They use millets and go gluten-free. We consume fruits and vegetables along with milk products. You can have this recipe during Navratre or during any other fasting days like Shivratri and Ekadashi. Click here to see more fasting recipes.
How many variations are there for halwa?
Note: Only Gajar ka halva and Sama halva can be eaten during fasting period apart from pumpkin one.
Also, click here to see more recipe videos from our channel "secondrecipe".
Please share your inputs..