Kasi halwa or Poosanikai halwa is an easy halwa recipe made with white pumpkin, sugar and ghee as main ingredients. Very simple recipe with simple ingredients. I have tried only once before and have not tasted that much too. When I made a list for the recipes to try for this Diwali, this was also in my list. So got a pumpkin last weekend while grocery shopping. I needed a push to try this one as I had no mood to try this halwa some how. But thanks to my co-sis, she kept insisting me to post this and helped me through out making this halwa. Thank you dear🤗. When I finished making and tasted I wasn’t impressed but later it tasted really good. I just loved the texture a lot. Grating is the only job to do, otherwise really easy to prepare this recipe. I adapted the recipe from the cookbook I have and adjusted to suit my taste.
Check out the full video for poosanikai halwa:
Kasi halwa recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Sweet
Prep Time: 15 Mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 Mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 4
Ingredients
White pumpkin, grated and squeezed gently – 2 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cardamom – 1, powdered
Edible camphor (optional) – 1 mustard size
Saffron – 1 pinch
Sugar – 1 cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cardamom – 1, powdered
Edible camphor (optional) – 1 mustard size
Saffron – 1 pinch
Method
- Remove the green skin part and soft part with seeds in the pumpkin. Grate it and squeeze gently to drain the excess water. You can save this if you are worried about the nutrient loss.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add a tsp of ghee. Fry the grated pumpkin well for 2 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup water or the squeezed water from pumpkin and cook covered until soft and tender. Mix and mash in between to ensure even cooking.
- Add sugar and mix until it dissolves. Add saffron and continue cooking.
- Keep stirring over medium flame. Add ghee little by little while you stir.
- Once the halwa thickens, add edible camphor powdered and cardamom towards the end.
- When you stir, you will see few tiny white spots appearing in the halwa, when you turn it. This is the right stage to switch off the flame.
- Lastly fry cashew nuts broken into two in ghee until golden and add to the halwa.
Notes
- Let the whole process be done in medium flame. Especially after adding sugar.
- Adding edible camphor and cardamom is to suppress the smell of pumpkin. So add generously.
- Make sure you grate the pumpkin evenly otherwise will remain uncooked.
- Adding sugar after the pumpkin gets cooked is must.If uncooked, after adding sugar it will never get cooked and becomes hard.
Not only glossy looking halwa, this halwa got a beautiful texture as well. 
So temptating 🙂 beautiful colour with step by step instructions
nice tempting presentation.. looks yum!
Luks very delicious n mouth watering 🙂 Thnx for the recipe 🙂 Can we add khova to this halwa as we usually do in preparing gaajar halwa??
Just look at that glossy look of the halwa! Super delicious looking 🙂
Looks glossy and delicious.. Yum yum
Yes you can try 🙂
What is the Shelf life for the halwa? ? 3 – 4 days? Can we refrigerate it?
What is the Shelf life for the halwa?? 3 -4 days. Can we refrigerate it?
How long can we store ?? 3 to 4 days??
Kasi Halwa is a very new recipe for me adding camphor powder gives a very nice aroma 🙂 yummy halwa
Good foto..then people will ask which camera
Good food will ask which pan….
My question same ..very good ceramic pan..which company?….
i remember, in some of your old posts i used see a glass pan later came to know its a "vision make" and brought after that…
This is greenlife brand ceramic nonstick pan 🙂
Hi Raks,
I'm a fan of your recipes. I look forward to your posts.
Where did you buy edible camphor in Singapore?
Thanks
Sushma
Mustafa, near where they keep hing 🙂
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Hi raks,
I have tried this recipe with red pumpkin, couldn't achieve the consistency. Do u have any suggestions…
Sorry,I haven't tried with yellow. This one is white pumpkin. I guess you cant get the same effect with yellow ones as it is more startchy veggie
You can keep refrigerated for 4 days.
Making it first tym .. Thanks for sharing the recipee