Pumpkin Halwa Recipe (Pumpkin Pudding)

Pumpkin Halwa served in a glass bowl with pistachios on top

4.50 from 2 votes

Pumpkin Halwa Recipe (Pumpkin Pudding)

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

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword instant pot pumkin halwa, kaddu ka halwa

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

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:

If you dont have cardamom ,replace with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
To make the halwa more rich you can add condensed milk after the pressure cooking and adjust sugar quantity accordingly.
You can also add khoya or almond flour to thicken and enhance the flavor of the kaddu halwa.
You can also use grated pumpkin instead of diced pumpkin if you wish.
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