Coconut Pumpkin Halwa, also called Kaddu ka Halwa, is an Indian pumpkin dessert made with pumpkin, sugar, ghee, coconut, and nuts. It can be cooked in a pressure cooker on the stovetop or Instant pot, and it takes less than 30 minutes to make this delicious dessert!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: kaddu ka halwa, pumpkin halwa, pumpkin pudding
Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode. When it displays hot, add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of ghee to the pot, then add the cubed pumpkin.
Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the raw smell of the pumpkin goes away. Add the almond milk and close the pot with the lid.
Press the manual or pressure-cook button with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick-pressure release. (For stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles)
Open the pot and set to sauté mode. Mash the pumpkin with a fork or potato masher.
Then add the sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the desiccated coconut powder along with the cardamom powder and cook the halwa for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken.
Add the cashews, almonds and raisins and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons (10ml) of ghee and mix.
Garnish with more nuts and coconut powder, if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
Make it vegan: Replace ghee with coconut oil. Garnish: I added some saffron to garnish the halwa, but it is completely optional. Milk: The recipe calls for almond milk, but regular milk works too. Regular milk, along with ghee, will make the recipe non-vegan. Serving: You can serve it warm (preferred) or cold. Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.Reprinted with permission from Vegetarian Indian Cooking by Manali Singh, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.