Kasi Halwa (Kassi Halwaa)

Ingredients

2 cup white pumpkin (kadhu) (grated)
4 green cardamoms
1 cup pure ghee
12 cashewnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar (cheeni)
1 cup milk
saffron (kesar) a few strands
a pinch camphor (edible)


How to make kasi halwa:

Peel, deseed and cut the pumpkin into very small cubes.
Grind the cardamom with the 1 tablespoon sugar to a fine powder, sieve and keep aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry cashewnuts to golden brown and keep aside.
Boil the remaining sugar with ¾th cup water and make syrup of one-thread consistency.
Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee and sauté the pumpkin for a few minutes, add the saffron and the milk.
Simmer over low heat till the pumpkin is fully cooked and the milk is absorbed totally. Stir and mash the pumpkin lightly with a wooden spatula while cooking.
Add the syrup slowly to the pulp and continue stirring and cooking. Add the ghee little by little till it is completely absorbed.
Sprinkle the cardamom powder and the camphor. Add the fried cashewnuts and continue cooking till the halwa starts leaving the sides of the vessel.