Agra Petha Ka Halwa Ash Gourd Sweet UP

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the ash gourd: Peel the ash gourd. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds and fibrous centre completely. Grate the remaining flesh on the coarse side of a box grater. You should have about 3 cups of grated ash gourd.

2. 2

   Remove excess moisture: Place the grated ash gourd in a clean cloth. Squeeze very firmly — remove as much liquid as possible. Ash gourd is extremely water-heavy; inadequately squeezed gourd produces a runny, slow-cooking halwa.

3. 3

   Fry cashews: Heat 1 tsp ghee. Fry cashews until golden. Remove and keep aside.

4. 4

   Heat ghee: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a wide, heavy pan.

5. 5

   Add the squeezed ash gourd: Add the squeezed grated ash gourd to the hot ghee. Stir immediately. The gourd will sizzle as any remaining moisture hits the hot ghee.

6. 6

   Cook on medium heat stirring continuously: Cook the grated gourd in the ghee, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, for 15 to 18 minutes. The gourd will initially look wet and pale. As the moisture cooks out, it will turn progressively drier, slightly translucent and begin to look glossy.

7. 7

   Add sugar: Once the gourd looks dry and the ghee begins to separate around it, add the sugar. Stir continuously as the sugar dissolves and the halwa becomes briefly looser before firming again.

8. 8

   Cook to the right consistency: Cook 5 more minutes after adding sugar, stirring continuously, until the halwa is thick and pulling away from the pan sides. Add saffron milk. Stir.

9. 9

   Add cardamom: Add cardamom powder. Stir.

10. 10

    Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with fried cashews. Serve warm.

11. 11

    Note: Petha Ka Halwa is the home-cooked sweet from ash gourd — made in Agra and across the Braj region as a simple everyday dessert made from the same vegetable that goes into the elaborate Agra Petha candy. The halwa requires none of the special lime-water processing of the candy — just grating, squeezing and cooking in ghee makes a delicious sweet from an otherwise plain vegetable.