Pumpkin halwa/ pudding recipe (Kaddu ka halwa)
Kaddu ka halwa or Pumpkin halwa/ pudding recipe or is a famous indian pumpkin dessert . It has a smooth texture with sweet, rich flavour and subtle aroma and taste of fennel seeds.
Why make Kaddu ka halwa (Pumpkin halwa /Pudding recipe) ?
It’s autumn, and officially Pumpkin season! Pumpkins are everywhere, and by every where I mean literally EVERYWHERE. From gardens, to farms, to markets, to store aisles, cafes and even your phones. You open anything online , and there pops a pumpkin.
When there is so much of Pumpkin, how can you miss making pumpkin recipes? These are fresh, ripe, big and so full of nutrition .
It is one of the fruits , the recipes of which can be twisted to be sweet or savoury.Every time I see a pumpkin, I am reminded of pumpkin halwa/pudding. Famous in India as Kaddu ka halwa that I loved when I was a kid, and it is still one of my favourite Indian dessert.
In India, pumpkins are a regular part of diet in autumn, and having pumpkin in the form on vegetable, raitas, paranthas is very common in most of the households.
Also, pumpkin is one fruit/ vegetable that can be had during the navratri fasts. Kaddu ka halwa is one of the treats that is often cooked during navratri.
Check out more pumpkin recipes – pumpkin raita , pumpkin parantha , butternut squash and walnuts soup recipe already on the blog .
Detailed recipe of kaddu ka halwa (Pumpkin pudding) is below.
Kaddu ka halwa is very easy to cook, healthy and delicious as well. Check the detailed steps, and various options to add different flavours to it. Hopefully you will enjoy cooking and eating this sweet Pumpkin treat this season.
Ingredients required, substitutes and optional ingredients to cook the delicious Kaddu ka halwa (Pumpkin pudding/ Halwa)
Two basic ingredients you need to cook Kaddu ka halwa are pumpkin (Kaddu) and sugar. All other ingredients are optional.
My mum always adds fennel seeds, and I really like the subtle taste of fennel seeds in this halwa, but this can be skipped if you do not have fennel seeds, or if you are making these specifically for navratri fasts.
You can always add nuts and seeds , as I have mentioned below.
I follow my mums recipe, and cook this in ghee, but you can use any oil of your choice. Personally I prefer the taste of ghee in Indian desserts, as it imparts a real nice aroma and flavour to any halwa.
Kaddu ka halwa does not need much of liquid, as pumpkin when cooked leaves a lot of water, which is enough to cook it.
However sometimes when the pumpkin is not ripe enough, you can add a little water while cooking.
Another option is adding a little milk and cream (or just milk) to make it creamier.In this recipe, I use milk and cream.
I do not add any nuts to my halwa, as my daughter would not eat the halwa with nuts. However if you don’t mind nuts, you can roast chopped almonds, cashews, raisins (all of these or any of these) with a little ghee/oil and add it to the halwa.
It adds a nice texture and taste to the halwa.
Another option is adding melon seeds. Melon seeds go really well with pumpkin flavour.
You can make Kaddu ka halwa in a pan , or cooker. It cooks faster in cooker though, as pumpkin takes less time to cook.
How to cook Pumpkin halwa ?
Peel and cut pumpkin slices into cube size pieces.
Wash them, and add to the pressure cooker.
Add fennel seeds.
Pressure cook this for 2-3 whistles.
Check if it is done, pumpkin should be tender, and a little mushy. If not done, add a little water and pressure cook again for 2-3 whistles.
Once done, open the lid and add a little milk and clotted cream (optional).
Cook it on slow heat till the milk is completely dissolved. Keep stirring in between.
Once done mash the pumpkin with the back of the spoon.If you are not adding milk, skip this step and proceed to the next.
Mash the pumpkin with the back of the spoon, and let it cook on slow heat till it is completely cooked, and it forms a kind of rough puree.It should leave ghee/ oil on the sides.
If you are adding nuts- In a separate pan heat a little ghee, and roast the nuts for 2-3 minutes in ghee, and add the cooked pumpkin.
If you are not adding nuts- then add ghee at this stage in the cooked pumpkin, and stir well.
Lastly add sugar .Stir well, so all the sugar is dissolved.
Your pumpkin halwa is ready to be served.
You can garnish it with more nuts, or just with some roughly crushed fennel seeds, and serve it as a dessert!
** If cooking this halwa in a pan, add the pumpkin and fennel seeds, cover and let cook for some time on slow heat. Once the pumpkin starts leaving water, add some more water, and cook till the pumpkin is tender.
** If you are making this halwa for vrat/ navratri and do not want to use fennel seeds, they can be avoided. You can instead add cardamom powder for a beautiful flavour.
If you try this and like this recipe, please rate it by clicking the stars below. And don’t forget to like , share the recipe and tag us on Instagram or Facebook using #frombowltosoul_ and #frombowltosoul . Please Comment below for any queries, suggestions and ideas .I would love to hear from you.
Some more dessert recipes on the blog are
- Suji Halwa (semolina halwa/ pudding )
- orange jelly pots ( a quick and easy treat / party recipe for kids)
- samo seeds kheer (a gluten free/ perfect navratri /fasting recipe )
- almond and coconut energy balls ( a healthy festive treat)
- badaam rabri (almonds pudding)
- instant wholewheat malpua/ pancakes recipe (my monsoon favourite recipe with a healthy twist
- nutella and raspberry filo pastry rolls
- rose jam, pistachios and almond filo pastry rolls.
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Pumpkin halwa/ Pumpkin pudding/ Kaddu halwa recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups sliced pumpkins
- 1/2 cup sugar adjust qty as per your taste, and the sweetness of pumpkins
- 1-2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup milk optional
- 1/2 cup clotted cream optional
- 1/2 cup water you might need more if cooking in a pan
Instructions
- Peel and cut pumpkin slices , into cube size pieces. Wash them, and add to the pressure cooker. Add some whole fennel seeds.
- Pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles. Check if it is done, pumpkin should be tender, and mashable. If not done, add a little water and pressure cook again for 2-3 whistles.
- Once done, open the cooker and add milk and clotted cream (optional), and cook it on slow heat till the milk is completely absorbed.Keep stirring in between.
- Once done mash the pumpkin with the back of the spoon and let it cook on slow heat till it is completely cooked, and forms a rough puree.
- If you are adding nuts- In a separate pan heat a little ghee, and roast the nuts for 2-3 minutes in ghee, and add the cooked pumpkin.If you are not adding nuts-then add ghee at this stage in the cooked pumpkin, and stir well.If adding melon seeds-Add ghee and melon seeds to the cooked pumpkin.
- Lastly ,add sugar , Stir well, so all the sugar is dissolved, and halwa is nice and glossy.Your pumpkin halwa is ready to be served. You can garnish it with more nuts, or just with some roughly crushed fennel seeds, and serve it as a dessert!
Notes
Recipe Notes–
- If you are adding nuts- In a separate pan heat a little ghee, and roast the nuts for 2-3 minutes in ghee, and add the cooked pumpkin.
- If you are not adding nuts-then add ghee at the stage, when pumpkin is cooked, and mashed , and stir well.
- If adding melon seeds-Add melon seeds to the cooked pumpkin, when adding ghee.
- If Cooking in a pan , not in a cooker, Add the pumpkin and fennel seeds, cover and let cook for some time on slow heat. Once the pumpkin starts leaving water, add some more water, and cook till the pumpkin is tender.
- You can skip adding fennel seeds, if you do not want to.
- You can skip adding any milk or cream, and instead just cook the pumpkin in water, and add rest of the ingredients.
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