KASHI HALWA (ASH GOURD HALWA)

It is one of the most famous traditional dessert of India.  Normally it is served with the vegetarian banquets.  It's very tasty n very easy to prepare..
As the name indicates the main ingredient is well ripen ash gourd.  When it's cooked with sugar and ghee and along with cardamom it gives a superb tastes.  The roasted cashews n raisins add it's richness and makes it a yummy one..

Today l took a whole medium sized fine ash gourd.  If we clean the gourd in running water with a scrub it will wash out the roughness and allows us to handle the gourd with ease.

Ash gourd before washing

     Ash gourd after washing with a scrub

Ingredients:
Ash gourd : one medium sized
Sugar : 1cup
Saffron: 2 pinch
Hot milk: 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1 tsp
Cashew nut: 10 nos
Raisins : 2 tbsp
Ghee:  2tbsp
Lime juice: 1/2 tsp
Salt: quarter tsp

How to prepare:
1. Cut the gourd using a sharp knife n peel it and  remove all the seeds.

 2.  Grate the gourd pieces using a fine grater.
3.  Squeeze out all the liquid content from the grated gourd.  We can use either hands to squeeze out well or use a muslin cloth to remove all the liquid content in it.

4.  After that the grated gourd will be roughly one n half cup.  The extracted liquid will be in almost same quantity.

5.  Add this extract to a thick bottomed vessel or in a non stick pan and bring to boil.
6.  When it start boil finely add the grated gourd and stir well and allow it to cook in a medium to high flame.  Stir occasionally.
7.  When it becomes almost dry add sugar and mix well.  Then it will again become little watery.   Care should be taken to not stick it in the bottom and burn.
8.  Add lime juice and continue stirring.  Adding lime juice will help to prevent the crystallisation of the sugar.
9.  Add salt to balance the taste and continue stirring until it evaporates almost all the liquid content.  Continuously stirring prevent burning of halwa.
10.  Add 1tbsp ghee and cardomom powder and mix well.
11. Add saffron soaked in the hit milk and continue stirring in a low flame.
12.  In another pan add 1tbsp of ghee and finely roast cashew and raisins.
13.  Meanwhile the halwa will be almost done and add the roasted nuts and raisins along with ghee.
14.  Mix well and allow to cool.  Kashi halwa is ready to serve...

Like other halwas, no need to plate it and cut into pieces when it's cooked.  We can just scoop it and have it.  The yumminess n richness increases to another level if we blend it with a scoop of ice cream.  Either butter scotch or simply vanilla blends well with Kashi halwa.....

NB: The ratio of grated gourd, sugar and the extract is 1:1:1.