Zucchini Halwa
Zucchini Halwa is an adaptation of lauki halwa or dudhi halwa.Zucchini halwa is an Indian sweet or mithai made with bottle gourd or Opo squash, whole milk, ghee, sugar and flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts. Two most popular halwa are carrot or dudhi halwa. Now add Zucchini halwa to your list. It's creamy and decadent dessert.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 3-4 tbsp cashews, sultanas or raisins, almond, pistachios
- 1 ½ -2 cups Zucchini shredded with skin
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup Sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ cup milk powder
- Optional – rose petals, saffron, silver leaf
Instructions
- Wash the zucchini skin very well with water. Grate Zucchini with skin on using a grater or you can also use food processor. Hand grated is better for texture. Use larger holes of the grater.
- Heat up ghee in a heavy bottom pan on medium temperature. Once the ghee is slightly hot quickly stir the dry fruits and remove them. You just want to get them to brown a little bit. Do not burn them. Leave them aside.
- In same ghee, add grated Zucchini and keep stirring until all the moisture has evaporated or gone from the zucchini. Once the moisture is gone, add the milk and keep cooking until the mix is thickened and again the mixture has become dry. Keep stirring in between, do no leave it unattended.
- Once the milk has reduced, add in the sugar, cardamom powder and milk powder again keep stirring. Sugar will release some water, so it needs to be cooked further until the mixture is thickened and starts leaving the sides of the pan. You will also observe the ghee being released on the sides of the pan.
- You can keep the consistency to your liking if there is not too much water and sugar has dissolved completely.
- Mix in the cardamom powder, and ghee roasted nuts. Leave some nuts to garnish if you like.
- Optionally you can garnish the halwa with some dried rose petals, gold or silver leaf.
- Serve it warm or cold. It tastes good both ways. I love it warm.
Notes
- The amount of sweetness can be adjusted. Taste it once sugar has dissolved, to add more sugar.
- It stays well in the fridge for few days and can easily be frozen few a month.
- It can be served either warm or cold. If you want to warm it, microwave it for few seconds. It will release some ghee when you warm it up.