Introduction: The Indian Halloween - Pumpkin Halwa & Pumpkin Puri

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Hey guys!

It is the Halloween season and Diwali season too, what's better than a combination of both? Today I am gonna share with you my recipe for pumpkin puri and pumpkin halwa. Halwa puri originated in northern India. It can be eaten at any time of the day.This dish is a combination of sweet halwa and savory puris. Best festive food ever. When I made this for the first time, my family loved it. This dish is loved by children as well as elders. Making this is absolutely easy, requires less time, and is absolutely delicious. Believe it or not! Pumpkin can make you go wow 🤩 Without any further ado, Let's start with the ingredients and the recipe.

Supplies

Ingredients:

  1. Pumpkin
  2. Salt
  3. Ghee
  4. Oil
  5. Cashewnuts
  6. Raisins
  7. Sugar
  8. Milk
  9. All-purpose flour
  10. Wheat flour
  11. Turmeric Powder
  12. Red chili Powder
  13. Coriander cumin Powder

Step 1: Cut and Peel

  1. You need about 150-200 grams of pumpkin for puris.
  2. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces.
  3. Peel it with a peeler (Be careful not to cut your hand.)


Step 2: Boil

  1. Take a pressure cooker.
  2. Heat about 1/2 cup of water.
  3. Add in the pumkin pieces.
  4. Add Salt as per taste (1/2 teaspoon)
  5. Close the lid.
  6. Cook for 3-4 whistles on high flame.
  7. Turn off the flame and let it cool down.

Step 3: Puree

  1. Once the cooker is cooled, strain the cooked pumpkin.
  2. Make a smooth puree.
  3. Mash it using a fork or grind it. I have used a fork.

Step 4: Knead Dough

In a big bowl,

  • take 1 cup of Wheat flour and 1 cup of All-purpose flour. (You can make the dough using any just all-purpose flour or just wheat flour, Your choice.)
  • Add 1 teaspoon of salt (as per taste).
  • Add 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of coriander-cumin powder.
  • Add the pumpkin puree.

Add water little by little and make a smooth dough. Don't make it too soft. The dough should be a bit hard.


Step 5: Make Small Balls

  1. Cover and keep the dough at rest for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Make small balls of dough. With this quantity, I made about 10-12 balls.

Step 6: Roll It Flat

  1. Take a rolling board.
  2. Apply some oil.
  3. Take a ball and roll it using a rolling pin in a small circle about 12-15 centimeters in diameter.
  4. Don't make it too thin.
  5. Refer to the photo for the thickness of the puri.

Step 7: Heat Oil for Frying

  1. Take a deep pan (Kadhai).
  2. We are going to fry our puris in it.
  3. Heat oil for deep frying.

Step 8: Fry Puris

  1. Pull a very small ball, to check the temperature. (If it rises quickly then the oil is perfectly hot.)
  2. Add the rolled puri into the hot oil and deep fry it.
  3. Turn it once or twice and it will puff like a ball.
  4. This takes less than a minute.
  5. Fry all the puris similarly.
  6. Our puris are ready

Step 9: Grate Pumpkin

Let's start making the halwa now.

  1. Take a grater.
  2. Grate the pumpkin. Make sure is it not very thin. I have taken about 500-600 grams of pumpkin for the halwa.

Step 10: Fry Cashew Nuts and Raisins

  1. Heat ghee (Clarified butter) about 1/3 cup in a pot.
  2. Once it completely melts add 1/4 cup of cashew nuts and 1/4 cup of raisins.
  3. On a low flame cook the dry fruits till you get a slight brown color.
  4. Then remove the fried dry fruits.

Step 11: Cook Pumpkin Halwa

  1. In the same pot, add the grated pumpkin.
  2. Mix mix mix.
  3. Cook it completely. Keep mixing in between.
  4. Cover and cook it for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes away.
  5. The pumkin will be fully cooked in about 10-12 minutes.

Step 12: Sugar Sweetness

  1. Once the pumpkin is fully cooked, you will see the ghee separating.
  2. When you see that, add about 2 spoons of sugar.
  3. Don't add much as pumpkin is already sweet. 2 Spoons are more than enough.
  4. Mix it well.
  5. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 13: Add Milk

  1. Once the sugar is all melted, add 1/2 cup of whole milk.
  2. Mix well.
  3. Cook till the milk is reduced.
  4. It will take about 5 minutes on medium-high flame.

Step 14: Add the Dry Fruits

  1. Halwa is all done, Just add in the fried dryfruits.
  2. Mix it well.


Step 15: Halwa Puri Assemble

Halwa puri is ready and looks so bright and yummy. Sweet halwa and savory puris go so well together. This is such an easy recipe with just a few ingredients.

Serve it hot and enjoy.

This is a very unique Pumpkin combination and I think you should definitely try making this. It requires less than 40-45 minutes and is the yummiest Pumpkin recipe you will ever come across.

Do try making it and tell me in the comments how it was. Also, do follow my Instagram page @thelockdowncheff

Thank you so much for reading. Have a nice day!

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