Swetha's Fusion

Kashi Halwa | Ash Gourd(Winter Melon) Halwa | Dumroot Halwa

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Kashi Halwa or Dumroot Halwa originates from south-canara (Udupi- Mangalore ) region. Made during festivals, served as dessert after meals. And at functions, sometimes it is served with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. Yummy! Not only this combo is tasty, it adds volume to the dessert ...as Ash-gourd is mainly water, you will notice the reduced small volume of halwa after preparing it. Usually the serving size for (most of ) halwa is just one tablespoon per person.

Kashi halwa is made from Ash gourd/ Winter Melon. During one of the ISHA foundation workshop I attended, I learned that Ash Gourd as Positive-Pranic (energy) and is very healthy for ones physical and mental growth.

Kashi halwa has a sticky-candy texture. It is almost translucent and off-white in color. When saffron is added, it gets a yellowish hue to it. Also I cook grated Ash-gourd with milk or condensed milk (optional), which adds a bit of creamy texture to it.

Note: sugar should be added after Ash-gourd is completely cooked and has no raw taste to it. It needs very few ingredients, and is time consuming. But is worth every bit of effort and time. It helps to cook in a non-stick pan as you need not have to stand and stir the ash-gourd while it cooks (about 15-20 minutes), you can just cover the lid and stir occasionally. Enjoy this delicious Kashi halwa with your friends and family.

Halwa recipes: Carrot halwa, Falooda and China grass halwa, Duddi Halwa, Suji Pineapple halwa and Kashi Halwa.

Ingredients:

3 cups - Ash gourd/White Pumpkin/ Winter Melon/ BoodhKumbalakayi
1 cup - Sugar
½ tsp - Cardamom/Elaichi Powder
¼ tsp - Saffron strands
2 tsp - warm milk
10 - Cashew nuts halved/broken
3 tbsp Ghee
½ cup - milk |or| 2 tbsp - condensed-milk (optional)

Method:

Peel the skin and de-seed the Ash-gourd. Wash and grate the Ash-gourd. Many version of the recipe call for draining the liquid of the grated Ash-gourd by squeezing or putting in a colander. But I save the liquid and let the Ash-gourd cook in its own water. Way throw away all the nutrients.

Heat a non-stick pan (or kadai or wok) on medium heat add 1 tsp of ghee.
Add the cashew-nuts to the hot ghee and roast to golden color. Remove the cashews and keep aside.

In the same pan, now add the grated Ash-gourd, cover and let it cook. Stir the mixture in between, this whole process may take from 10 to 20 minutes depending on the quantity and tenderness of the Ash-gourd.
Optional-step: after about 5 minutes, add milk or condensed-milk, mix, cover the lid and let it cook further until most of the liquid is absorbed or Ash-gourd is completely cooked and is soft.

Meanwhile, to 2 tsp of warm-milk add saffron strands. Let it soak for about 2 minutes. Using a pestle or back of a spoon crush the saffron to extract more color. No need to make a paste or break the strand. Keep aside.
Once the ash gourd is cooked stir in the sugar. Mix and cook. Keep stirring. From this point on, you can not leave the pan.

Once sugar melts, mix-in the saffron and milk mixture. The color of the halwa will now turn to yellowish hue.

Once the mixture thickens, add rest of the ghee, roasted cashew-nuts and cardamom powder.

Continue stirring until the halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan and most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the halwa to a serving bowl. Let it cool and serve as is or with vanilla ice-cream