Kasi Halwa (Kassi Halwaa)

Ingredients

2 cup white pumpkin (kadhu) (grated)
4 green cardamoms
1 cup pure ghee
12 cashewnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar (cheeni)
1 cup milk
saffron (kesar) a few strands
a pinch camphor (edible)

How to make kasi halwa:

• Peel, deseed and cut the pumpkin into very small cubes.
• Grind the cardamom with the 1 tablespoon sugar to a fine powder, sieve and keep aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry cashewnuts to golden brown and keep aside.
• Boil the remaining sugar with ¾th cup water and make syrup of one-thread consistency.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee and sauté the pumpkin for a few minutes, add the saffron and the milk.
• Simmer over low heat till the pumpkin is fully cooked and the milk is absorbed totally. Stir and mash the pumpkin lightly with a wooden spatula while cooking.
• Add the syrup slowly to the pulp and continue stirring and cooking. Add the ghee little by little till it is completely absorbed.
• Sprinkle the cardamom powder and the camphor. Add the fried cashewnuts and continue cooking till the halwa starts leaving the sides of the vessel.