Kaddu Ka Halwa: Pumpkin Halwa

Rakhee Yadav

Author of Heavenly Vegan Dals & Curries. Lover of simple, fresh, plant-based foods made deliciously by hand every single day. Combining flowers and plants in her simple, yet wholesome food

Rotterdam, Holland

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Instagram: @boxofspice | boxofspice.com

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INGREDIENTS

2 tsp cardamom powder

½ cup desiccated coconut + ½ cup for decorating

1¾ lb pumpkin, grated

¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped + ½ cup for decorating

¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped + ½ cup for decorating

6-8 cashew nuts, roughly chopped

1 cup coconut milk

¼ cup coconut oil

½ cup sugar (add more or less according to taste)

½ cup raisins, for decorating

METHOD

Heat coconut oil in a deep nonstick pan (I used a Dutch oven), add the cashew nuts, pistachio and almonds. When light brown, add the grated pumpkin and sauté for 15-20 minutes or till the pumpkin is cooked. Add the coconut milk and cook till the pumpkin is tender and breaks down. Cook till almost dry. Add the desiccated coconut and stir well. Cook this mixture for another 20 minutes, stirring often. You don’t want the bottom to burn. Add the sugar and stir continuously.

Sprinkle the cardamom powder, mix well and remove from the heat. Fill a bowl one-quarter full. Add a layer of raisins, then a layer of pistachios and top with a layer of coconut flakes. Serve hot or cold with chai.

NOTE: Halwa is very heavy, so you don’t need to serve a lot of it. And especially since mine has layers of dried fruit, less is more!