Gummadikaya (kaddu) halwa (Red pumpkin halwa)

Gummadikaya (pumpkin) is a popular vegetable in many countries.

In India all over the country gummadikaya is available. In many areas it is used in festive occasions like weddings and house warming functions. Either a subzi or a pulusu (mixed vegetable sweet and sour stew) cooked with pumpkin is definitely served in festive lunches.

Similarly in North America and Canada pumpkin pie is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals. From middle of September, one finds many kinds of pumpkins all over USA. Pumpkins have a lot of significance in Halloween folklore.

Pumpkin leaves, flowers and seeds are edible.

Pumpkin has a lot of medicinal value also. Pumpkin is highly nutritious and very rich in vitamin A.
It is contains high amount of antioxidants and may reduce risk of chronic diseases and boost immunity. Pumpkin is high in nutrient density and low in calories. Consuming pumpkin may help in weight loss.

Some people may be allergic to pumpkin. Also, it is mildly diuretic, which means eating a lot of pumpkin may induce production of more urine.

In USA and Canada you find pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and even pumpkin latte! In India lot of subzis and sweets are made with pumpkin. Here is a recipe for pumpkin halwa. Very little sugar and ghee (clarified butter) are used, so that it is not overly rich!

This festive season, try out this halwa for your holidays!

Ingredients:

•      3 cups grated pumpkin
•      3/4 cup sugar 
•      1 or 2 Tbs, sooji (cream of wheat)
•      2 Tbs. ghee (clarified butter)
•      2 Tbs. cashew nuts
•      1 Tbs. raisins
•      4 or 5 green cardamom 

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut the pumpkin in half.
2.      Remove seeds and inside pulp.
3.      Peel the skin off.
4.      Either you can grate them  or
5.      Cut in to one inch pieces.
6.      Process the pieces and a vegetable chopper.
7.      Grind in a powder grinder or pestle and mortar cardamom seeds.
8.      Heat a thick pan. 
9.      Add ghee.
10.      When the ghee melts, add cashews and cook for 2 minutes.
11.      When cashews are turning brown, add raisins.
12.      Remove them from the pan and set aside.
13.      To the same pan, add sooji.
14.      Keep stirring so that sooji is not burnt.
15.      After 2 or 3 minutes, add grated/processed pumpkin.
16.      On low heat cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
17.      Keep stirring.
18.      When the moisture is almost evaporated, add sugar.
19.      After adding sugar, more moisture will be there.
20.      Keep stirring till the mixture becomes compact and leaves the sides and bottom of the pan.
21.      When touched, the mixture does not stick to the fingers.
22.      At this stage, the halwa is ready.
23.      Add cardamom powder and nuts.
24.      Mix well. 
25.      Transfer to serving bowl and serve hot.
26.      Tastes nice whether eaten hot or refrigerated. 

Ravva laddu ( Suji/semolina/cream of wheat laddu)

Ravva laddu/ suji laddu/ cream of wheat sweet is possibly the simplest and easiest sweet. The basic ingredient for this sweet is ravva or semolina or cream of wheat. Ravva or popularly known as Bombay ravva is available in Indian stores in USA.  Cream of wheat, which is a breakfast porridge ingredient available in USA is a good equivalent to ravva. Sweet balls of the size of a table tennis ball are made using your palms are known as laddus. Ravva along with desiccated coconut powder and sugar is used to make the laddus.

Edible camphor is different from the camphor used for arati etc. You find it in Indian stores.  A very small amount is used along with cardamom powder to give exotic flavor to the sweets.

Making ravva laddu using this recipe is less time consuming and as no milk/condensed milk or khoya (milk thickened by continuous heating in an open pot) is used in the recipe, these laddus have more shelf life. These laddus need not be refrigerated. They can be kept up to 2 weeks outside.

Amount of sugar is optional. If you want sweeter laddus, you may increase the amount of sugar. If the sugar is too grainy, you will have to powder the sugar. Addition and amount of coconut powder is also optional.

           

Ingredients:

•      1 cup coarse suji 
•      1/2 to 1 cup desiccated coconut
•      1 cup sugar
•      3 Tbsp. cashew nuts
•      3 Tbsp. raisins
•      3 Tbsp. almond slices
•      2 Tsp. cardamom powder
•      A little of edible camphor (optional)
•      4 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter) 

Directions:

1.      In a dry grinder, powder cardamom, edible camphor and two spoons of sugar and set aside.
2.      If necessary, powder the sugar to the consistency of ravva.
3.      Heat ghee in a thick pan.
4.      Add cashew nuts and almonds.
5.      Fry for two minutes.
6.      When the nuts are getting brown, add raisins.
7.      Raisins pop up.
8.      Stop cooking and remove the dry fruits from ghee.
9.      Set aside.
10.      Add suji to the same pan to the remaining hot ghee.
11.      Reduce the heat and mix continuously.
12.      When suji is turning light brown and aromatic, add desiccated coconut.
13.      Keep stirring. 
14.      After cooking for 2 or 3 minutes, add sugar.
15.      Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
16.      Add the fried dry fruits and cardamom mixture.
17.      Remove from heat.
18.      Sprinkle about 3 or 4 table spoons of water to the mixture.
19.      Stir continuously from bottom to top.
20.      If necessary sprinkle more water.
21.      When the mixture is still hot, try to make balls using your palms.
22.      Either apply a little bit of ghee or wet your palm occasionally and keep making laddus.
23.      If necessary, you may sprinkle a little more water.
24.      If the mixture turns cold and difficult to make balls, warm up the pan and sprinkle a little water.