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Home » Recipes » Desserts

Pumpkin Halwa (Pudding) | Kaddu ka Halwa

Dec 18, 2022. by Bhavana Patil. No Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pumpkin Halwa or Kaddu ka halwa is a rich Indian pudding dessert recipe made with yellow or red pumpkin, milk, and sugar with a generous amount of ghee in an Instant pot Pressure cooker or stovetop. This pumpkin halwa can be made vegan and keto-friendly.

instant pot pumpkin halwa/kaddu ka halwa served ina glass bowl with pumpkin on side
Pumpkin Halwa

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

This Pumpkin halwa is very light and delicious. You can make it richer by adding ¼ cup of khoya/mava or almond flour.

Pumpkins are naturally sweet so adjust the sugar accordingly. I have used kabocha squash for this recipe. You can also use yellow or golden pumpkin that is readily available in Indian grocery stores all around the year.

I highly recommend not using jack-o'-lantern pumpkins used for carving during Halloween decorations to make this halwa. They are not ideal for cooking, are more watery, and are less tasty. However, you can use sugar or pie pumpkins which are smaller in size.

How to make Pumpkin Halwa Recipe in Instant Pot

Firstly, clean the Instant pot thoroughly – the steel pot, lid, and sealing ring. If you have an extra sealing ring for sweet foods, use it else, milk may curdle.

Peel the pumpkin skin and dice it into 1-inch pieces.

step to dice the yellow kabocha squash into ½ inch size collage

Press SAUTE button on Instant Pot. Add ghee to the pot. Once hot, add the diced pumpkin, and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Then add milk and mix well.

step to heat ghee and add pumpkin and saute for few minutes collage

Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 5 minutes.

Once the pot beeps, Allow 5 minutes natural pressure release, then do a QUICK RELEASE.

Open the lid and Turn the pot to SAUTE (HIGH) again. Mash the pumpkin using a potato masher or fork.

Then add sugar, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.

step to mash the pressure cooked squash and add sugar collage

Add remaining ghee, cardamom powder. Stir continuously for another 2-3 minutes till the halwa thickens. 

Press Cancel. Yellow Pumpkin Halwa will thicken as it cools down.

step to cook pumpkin halwa with remaining ghee and cardamom powder collage

Lastly, serve pumpkin pudding warm or at room temperature and garnish with slivered pistachios and almonds.

pumpkin halwa or kaddu ka halwa in instant pot insert garnished with nuts

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

  • Follow the process mentioned above for the stovetop pressure cooker. Give 2 whistles to cook pumpkin in milk and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Pot Method

  • Follow the process mentioned above. Cover pot with a lid and cook till pumpkin pieces have softened completely on medium-low flame. Takes about 10-15 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between. All the other steps remain the same.

Variations & Tips

  • If you dont have cardamom, replace it with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • To make the halwa richer, you can add condensed milk after the pressure cooking and adjust the sugar quantity accordingly.
  • You can also add khoya or almond flour to thicken and enhance the flavor of this kaddu ka halwa recipe.
  • You can also use grated pumpkins instead of diced pumpkins if you wish.
  • Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert, lid, and sealing ring before making sweet to avoid milk curdling. I always keep an extra sealing ring for sweets separately.

FAQs

Can I make Vegan Kaddu Ka Halwa?

Yes, Replace dairy milk with almond milk and ghee with coconut oil or neutral oil.

How to make Keto Kaddu/Pumpkin Halwa

To make keto pumpkin recipe, use unsweetened almond milk or half and half instead of dairy milk. Also, make sure to use stevia or monkfruit keto sugar instead of regular refined sugar.
If you are on a Keto or Low Carb Diet. Check out my Keto Indian Food Recipes Collection.

More Pumpkin Recipes

  • Pumpkin Curry
  • Thai pumpkin Soup
  • Pumpkin Sambar
  • Pumpkin Raita

More Dessert Recipes

  • Milk Powder Burfi
  • Carrot Halwa Instant Pot
  • Rice Kheer
  • Badam Halwa using Almond Flour
  • Moong Dal Payasam
Tried this recipe?Don’t forget to give a ★ rating below
Pumpkin Halwa served in a glass bowl with pistachios on top

Pumpkin Halwa Recipe (Pumpkin Pudding)

Bhavana Patil
Pumpkin Halwa or Kaddu ka halwa is a rich Indian Dessert recipe made with pumpkin, milk and sugar with generous amount of ghee in Instant pot Pressure cooker or stove top
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories : 308
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
Prep Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes
Total Time : 25 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
  • Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml

  • 4 tablespoons ghee divided
  • 4 cups yellow pumpkin diced into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ cup dairy milk Or almond milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons nuts of your choice

Instructions
 

Instant Pot Method:

  • Clean the Instant pot thoroughly – the steel pot, lid and sealing ring. If you have an extra sealing ring for sweet foods, use it else milk may curdle.
  • Press SAUTE button. Add ghee into the pot ,once hot add the diced pumpkin and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
  • Add milk and mix well.Press CANCEL button on Instant Pot.
  • Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set timer to 5 minutes.
  • Once the pot beeps,Allow 5 minutes natural pressure release ,then do a QUICK RELEASE.
  • Open the lid and Turn the pot to SAUTE(HIGH) again.Mash the pumpkin using potato masher or fork.
  • Then add sugar, and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously.
  • Add remaining ghee ,cardamom powder ,Stir continuously for another 2-3 minutes till the halwa thickens. 
  • Press Cancel.Pumkin Halwa will thicken as it cools down.
  • Serve pumpkin pudding warm or at room temperature and garnish with slivered pistachios and almonds.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:

  • Follow the process mentioned above for stove top pressure cooker.Give 2 whistles to cook pumpkin in milk and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Pot Method:

  • Follow the process mentioned above.Cover pot with a lid and cook till pumpkins pieces have softened completely on medium-low flame.Takes about 10-15 minutes.Do stir once or twice in between.All the other steps remain the same.

Notes

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

Variations:

  1. If you dont have cardamom ,replace with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  2. To make the halwa more rich you can add condensed milk after the pressure cooking and adjust sugar quantity accordingly.
  3. You can also add khoya or almond flour to thicken and enhance the flavor of the kaddu halwa.
  4. You can also use grated pumpkin instead of diced pumpkin if you wish.
  5. Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert ,lid and sealing ring before making sweet to avoid curdling of milk.I always keep an extra sealing ring for sweets separately.
 
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 15mgPotassium: 468mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 9925IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg
Keyword instant pot pumkin halwa, kaddu ka halwa
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Hi There! Welcome to my blog! I’m Bhavana. Here you’ll find easy recipes for your Instant Pot, Kids Lunch Box ideas, Keto/LowCarb, Air-fryer recipes plus more wholesome, easy Vegetarian/Vegan Indian recipes that your family will love. More about me →

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