Pumpkin Halwa
This traditional Pakistani pumpkin halwa is a popular fall and winter dessert made with pumpkin, milk, sugar, ghee, cardamom, and nuts.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb pumpkin ((see notes))
- 1 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar ((see notes))
- 1/4 cup ghee ((see notes))
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 5 cardamom
- 1 tbsp pistachios ((see notes))
- 1 tbsp almonds
- 1/2 tbsp rose petals ((optional))
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°f .
- 2
Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment.
- 3
Cut your tonda squash or pumpkin of choice in half and remove all the seeds.
- 4
Pour some oil into a small bowl (I use avocado) and use a basting brush to rub it on the flesh of the halved pumpkins/tonda squash.
- 5
Bake the pumpkin in the oven (uncovered) for 45 minutes.
- 6
Remove, cool enough to be able to scoop out the flesh in big pieces and discard the skin.
- 7
Place the pumpkin pieces and milk in the pot and bring the mixture to a boil on high heat.
- 8
Reduce to medium heat and cook till all the liquid has evaporated and use your potato masher to make a thick pumpkin puree.
- 9
Add the sugar to the mixture and cook on low heat, stirring till its all melted and the mixture is glossy.
- 10
Add in the ghee and let it melt into the sweetened pumpkin puree.
- 11
Turn the flame to medium high and add in the oil and let the halwa mixture heat up.
- 12
Start roasting the mixture, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- 13
Once the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and turns amber in color it is ready.
- 14
Garnish and serve warm.