Ash Gourd Halwa

Ingredients

• 300-400 g ash gourd (white pumpkin), peeled, grated
• 1 cup ghee
• 10 cashews
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder

Method

1. Squeeze the grated ash gourd pulp by hand to remove excess liquid or allow it to sit in a sieve or colander until the juice runs out.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan; sauté the cashews until golden brown. Remove the cashews with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
3. To the same ghee, add the grated ash gourd and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Cook, stirring continuously, until the halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan and becomes a homogenous mass. Add the fried cashews and mix well.
5. Cool and serve.

Source note: Adapted from Isha Foundation’s A Taste of Well-Being (Harper Element, 2016).