Coconut Pumpkin Halwa

Indian Sweet Pumpkin Halwa served in a bowl garnished with almonds and pistachios.

4.94 from 16 votes

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

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: kaddu ka halwa, pumpkin halwa, pumpkin pudding

Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

2 tablespoon Ghee
4 cups Pumpkin cubed to about 1.5 inches, 600 grams
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/3 cup Brown Sugar add more to taste
1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
1 tablespoon Cashews broken, plus more for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon Almonds sliced, plus more for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon Raisins golden
2 teaspoon Ghee for finishing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode. When it displays hot, add 2 tablespoons 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 a 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 of ghee and mix.
Garnish with more nuts and coconut powder, if desired, and serve warm.

Video

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.

Reprinted with permission from Vegetarian Indian Cooking by Manali Singh, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.

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