Kasi halwa is a traditional Indian sweet dish made from ash gourd (also known as winter melon or white pumpkin), sugar, ghee (clarified butter), and cardamom powder. To make kasi halwa, the ash gourd is peeled, deseeded, and grated. The grated ash gourd is then cooked in ghee until it becomes soft and translucent. Sugar is added to the mixture and cooked until it dissolves and the halwa thickens. Finally, cardamom powder is added for flavoring. Kasi halwa is typically garnished with chopped nuts like cashews and almonds before serving. It has a smooth and creamy texture with a sweet and aromatic taste. It is often served as a dessert or sweet dish during festivals, weddings, and other special occasions in India.
Serve the aromatic and flavorful pumpkin halwa warm, and enjoy your sweet treat!
Kasi Halwa
5
servings10
minutes20
minutesKasi halwa is a traditional Indian sweet dish made from ash gourd (also known as winter melon or white pumpkin), sugar, ghee (clarified butter), and cardamom powder.
Ingredients
White Pumpkin – grated 2 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Ghee – 4 to 5 tablespoons
Cardamom powder – ½ teaspoon
Cashew Nuts – 10 Nos
Saffron – a few strands
Kesar colour – a pinch
Edible camphor (Pachhai Karpooram) – a pinch
Directions
- Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then grate it until you have 2 cups of pumpkin gratings.
- Place a kadai on medium heat and add a bit of ghee. Fry the cashew nuts in the ghee until golden brown, then remove them and set aside for later.
- In the same kadai, add one tablespoon of ghee. Before adding the pumpkin, take a handful of the gratings and squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Add the squeezed pumpkin gratings to the kadai. Do the same with the remaining gratings, ensuring all excess water is removed.
- Sauté the pumpkin in the ghee, stirring frequently until all the water content evaporates and the pumpkin begins to fry nicely.
- Stir in the sugar, mixing thoroughly with the pumpkin. Continue to cook the mixture until it starts to thicken into a semi-solid consistency.
- Gradually add more ghee in intervals, stirring the halwa continuously to ensure it doesn’t stick to the kadai and cooks evenly.
- Add the kesar (saffron) color and strands of saffron, stirring well to distribute the color throughout the halwa.
- Once the halwa begins to leave the sides of the vessel, indicating it’s done, stir in the powdered cardamom, edible camphor (if using), and the fried cashew nuts.
- Remove the kadai from the stove once everything is well combined and the halwa has reached the desired consistency.