Pumpkins are a winter squash and abundantly available in the markets this time of the year. India is the second largest country producing pumpkins in the world after China. The fruit juice, flower, young stems and leaves are known to have medicinal properties. The seeds are popularly consumed as a healthy snacking option. Pumpkin fruits are used in daily cooking in making sambar & curries as well as in sweet preparations.

Pumpkin is known by many names regionally in India: Gummadi Kaya (Telugu), Poosanikai (Tamil), Kumbalakai (Kannada), Mathanga (Malayalam), Bhopala (Marathi), Kaddu (Hindi), kollaano velo (Gujarati).

I have used the multicolored with mottled (marked with spots or smears of colour) light green skinned “Pumpkin Amir” to make this halwa. You may choose any variety of pumpkin you like to make this halwa. Just ensure that the pumpkin is fully ripe, raw or semi-ripe pumpkin does not yield desired result. The taste is very similar to that of Udupi special – Kashi halwa which is made of ash gourds.

To make this halwa, pumpkin is grated, mixed with sugar and a little ghee and cooked covered until it’s moisture content is reduced. You may choose to either cook the pumpkin in the pressure cooker for one whistle it you can cook in an open kadai… The choice is totally upto you. To further enhance its taste, it is cooked in milk and garnished with toasted, finely chopped dry fruits and dry roasted pumpkin and melon seeds. We all eat with our eyes first. Alongwith being tasty, it is very important for the food to be visually appealing too. So, I have used a pinch of saffron soaked in warm milk to enhance the colour and flavour of this pumpkin halwa.

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Sharing below Pumpkin Halwa recipe. Before I get to it, do check my other desserts recipes too.

Pumpkin Halwa Recipe

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin – 500 gm
• Milk – 1/4 cup
• Sugar – 1/4 cup
• Saffron strands – 1 pinch soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
• Green cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
• Ghee – 2-1/2 tsp
• Pumpkin seeds – 1 tsp
• Watermelon seeds/ magaz – 1 tsp

Instructions:

1) Take a wedge of pumpkin. Both the yellow skinned or speckled green skinned pumpkins will do.

2) With the help of a spoon, remove the loose pith from the pumpkin.

3) Cut the pumpkin into sections of about 1-1/2″ width that will be comfortable for grating.

4) Using a knife or peeler, remove the skin.

5) Repeat for all pieces. Now the pumpkin is ready for grating.

6) Using the medium sized tooth side of the grater, grate all the pumpkin pieces.

7) Not the pumpkin is ready to be cooked. You may choose to either cook in pressure cooker for one whistle or you may open cook in a kadai. I’m cooking in the kadai.

8) Transfer the grated pumpkin along with its juice to a thick bottomed kadai. Heat on medium flame.

9) Add sugar, mix well.

10) Add milk, mix well.

11) Add the saffron strands soaked in warm milk, mix well.

12) Add ghee, mix well.

13) Cover and cook for about 15 minutes with stirring every minutes. Add green cardamom powder, mix well.

14) While the pumpkin is cooking, heat another pan in medium-low heat. Dry roast pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds for about 2-3 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. Keep aside.

15) To the same pan, add ghee.

16) On medium-low flame, toast the dry fruits.

17) Toast until they turn golden brown. Turn off flame and keep aside.

18) Open the lid and check on the pumpkin. By now most of the moisture would have reduced. Keep stirring until all the moisture is evaporated.

19) Add dry fruits.

20) Mix well and then off flame. Pumpkin halwa is ready. Serve hot or warm garnished with dry roasted pumpkin and watermelon seeds.