Kashi / Kushmanda Halwo

Kashi Halwo /Kushmanda halwo is a popular sweet prepared from ash gourd / kuvale . This is popular among us Konkanis as Kuvale halwo too . This is served at wedding feasts and a favourite sweet made on various occasions . When I got a large piece of home grown Ash gourd – I decided to make this dish ..This is quite easy to make though it needs a lot of attention and stirring & takes up nearly an hour to make , So let’s see the recipe .

Ingredients :-

• Grated Ash gourd/ Kuvale – 3 cups
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Cashewnuts – a handful
• Ghee/desi ghee – 1/4 cup
• Cardamom/Elaichi powder – 1 tsp
• Saffron – a few strands or any other food colour ( Optional – I did not add )

Method :-

1. Choose a fresh piece of Kuvale
2. First wash & then peel the skin of the Kuvale .
3. Grate the pieces with a grater , Do not use a Mixer to grate as the hand grated form is best for this .
4. Transfer to a thick bottomed kadai along with its water – DO NOT discard the juice .
5. Start cooking it until the juice has totally evaporated . Do not forget to keep stirring often ,
6. Now add the sugar and keep stirring .
7. The sugar will melt , Keep cooking till it has become dry again .
8. Now add the ghee and keep stirring more often .
9. Keep cooking till it has thickened considerably .
10. Add the cashews & cardamom powder .Now keep stirring continuously on medium flame till it comes all together ,,the crystallized sugar will give an awesome colour .
11. . Now it’s ready . you can remove to a serving bowl . This tastes best when served warm .This will keep for a week when kept in refrigeration . ( of course it may get consumed long before that 😀

Notes :-

1. Do not discard the juice . Cook along with it ,
2. Cook the grated kuvale in low to medium flame only – so that it does not burn .
3. Add the sugar only after the juice has dried out completely .
4. In the last stage keep stirring uniformly so that the halwo does not stick to the bottom & burns .