Vellai Poosanikai Halwa / White Pumpkin Halwa is a very traditional sweet served at South Indian weddings. We usually start the wedding feast with a sweet. Its a divine moment when a hot scoop of this halwa is served on a banana leaf. Its my all time favorite. At a wedding lunch when I was in college, I told my mom that I want the same halwa for my wedding. She dint say anything at that time. Some years passed. Many weddings and many halwa’s later, my halwa time came. When my parents were finalizing the menu for my wedding, I asked for this halwa to be added to the menu. This halwa is close to my heart and warm to my stomach. For me, it needs to be served hot. The warm halwa, the pumpkin with a textural feel in the mouth, the golden yellow color, the melting ghee….what more can one need. Lets make this awesome wedding halwa.
That’s us at our wedding. That was a long time back.
Its always better to pick up a pumpkin that’s aged well. Choose a pumpkin that’s a little big and is more than 6 kilograms. We will need about 1 kg of pumpkin for this recipe.
Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and remove the seeds and the innards of the pumpkin completely.
We need to remove the skin too. Remove the green skin completely. The skin is bitter. So you want to remove it off completely.
Grate the pumpkin using a vegetable peeler. Pumpkin has a lot of water content. Squeeze the grated pumpkin on a muslin cloth to remove all the water. Set aside.
Heat a pan on medium flame and add the pumpkin. The 1 kg of pumpkin at the beginning has become a mere 300 grams now.
Add in a cup of the strained pumpkin liquid and cook the pumpkin on medium flame until dry.
When the pumpkin is cooking, soak a big pinch of saffron in half a cup of pumpkin liquid. Set aside. Grind 2 cardamom pods on a mortar and pestle to a smooth powder. Remove the outer skin of the cardamom before grinding.
Add in the saffron water and the sugar. Add in the broken cashewnuts. Add in a pinch of salt. Cook the halwa on medium flame for 7-8 minutes.
When the halwa starts to bubble on the sides, add in 2 tablespoon of ghee. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Add in a big pinch of the ground cardamom powder.
The halwa is done when the ghee streaks starts to appear on top.
Serve hot.
- 1 Kg Pumpkin
- 200 grams Sugar
- a big pinch of saffron
- 2 cardamom
- a pinch of salt
- ¼ cup broken cashewnuts
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and remove the seeds and the innards. Remove the green skin completely.
- Grate the pumpkin using a vegetable peeler. Pumpkin has a lot of water content. Squeeze the grated pumpkin on a muslin cloth to remove all the water. Set aside.
- Heat a pan on medium flame and add the pumpkin. The 1 kg of pumpkin at the beginning has become a mere 300 grams now. Add in a cup of the strained pumpkin liquid and cook the pumpkin on medium flame until dry.
- When the pumpkin is cooking, soak a big pinch of saffron in half a cup of pumpkin liquid. Set aside. Grind 2 cardamom pods on a mortar and pestle to a smooth powder. Remove the outer skin of the cardamom before grinding.
- Add in the saffron water and the sugar. Add in the broken cashewnuts. Add in a pinch of salt. Cook the halwa on medium flame for 7-8 minutes.
- When the halwa starts to bubble on the sides, add in 2 tablespoon of ghee. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Add in a big pinch of the ground cardamom powder. The halwa is done when the ghee streaks starts to appear on top. Serve hot.