• You may just form them into balls, slightly press to flatten it and garnish with chopped nuts.
• I used the side of thread-spool for giving it flower shape by just pressing it on the formed peda balls. 
• You may use tip of a juicer and press over the peda balls to form flower like indentation 
• Also may use mini-modak mold to shape into modak-shaped pedas
• Roll the ready mixture in-between parchment paper with use of a rolling-pin to about one centimetre thickness. With a sharp knife, cut them into squares or diamond shapes. Garnish with edible silver leaf (Vark).
• I also found a moon-cake mold [on amazon ], which worked out nicely to get uniform shape and size. (see the post's last picture below)
• I add bit of condensed-milk with the saved saffron and warm it a little. Since condensed-milk has sugar, it helps in sticking the saffron on the pedas. 
• Garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachios and serve.

NOTE: 

• Important: ratio is 1:1.5  (or 2:3) that is., for one can/cup of condensed-milk, add 1.5 can/cup of milk powder. I usually use the same emptied condensed milk to measure out the milk powder as well.
• Keep an eye when you microwave the mixture. Number of time you may have to microwave depends on the quantity and wattage (power) of your microwave oven.
• Normally it will take five one-minute cooking in the microwave for a 14 ounce can of condensed milk ( in my microwave oven). When I make smaller batch of pedas with only half  can, I have noticed that the peda mixture is ready by 4th one-minute cooking
• When preparing a big batch of pedas, I place the bowl with ready mixture in another bigger dish with hot water. The reason for this is, as I am working on the mixture to shape them, the mixture will get cold and makes it harder to form the shapes, the sides will crack as I press the shape-stamp over it. Some suggest to microwave for 10 seconds, this process helps to warm up the mixture, but I feel it also makes the mixture bit dry as well.

• Chocolate pedas: Add 2 tbsp of coco powder to the mixture to make,  add vanilla extract instead skip saffron milk.
• Rose pedas: Add bit more rose water and gulkand (rose petal preserve)  before the last round of microwave to make rose flavored pedas. Add couple drops of pink/red food color as well. Skip adding saffron milk.
• You may try other variations like Betel leaf (paan), Coffee flavored pedas

• 1 cup - Almonds
• 4 to 6 - Cashew nuts (optional)
• ¾ cup - Sugar
• ½ cup - Ghee -melted (may not use all of it)
• ¼ cup - milk (I used almond milk)
• ¼ tsp - saffron strands
• ½ tsp - cardamom powder 
• 1 tbsp - chopped or slivered almonds for garnish
• small pinch of salt

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. 

• 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)

1. 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.



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



4. 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.
5. 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. 



6. 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.
7. 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.



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


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

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

• 10 to 12 - fully ripe Jackfruit pods/arils
• 1 cup - whole wheat flour
• ½ cup - grated coconut (may be grounded too)
• ½ cup - jaggery or brown sugar or liquid  jaggery 
• ½ tsp - cardamom powder
• 3 tsp - milk or water - as & if needed to get the right consistence.
• Oil for deep frying

• 1 tsp - honey 
• 1 tsp - cashew nut powder
• pinch of baking powder or Eno fruit salt
• pinch of nutmeg pdr, cinnamon pdr, cloves pdr or black-pepper pdr ( I use bit of cloves and pepper powder when prepared as snack, slight hint of spice goes well with evening tea/coffee)
• pinch of salt