22 February, 2024
Damrot | Ash gourd halwa | Kashi halwa |
ಕಾಶಿ ಹಲ್ವಾ | ದಂರೋಟ್ |
Today I’m going to post a yummy halwa recipe, which is made using a vegetable. And the vegetable is called as white pumpkin, Ash gourd, winter melon in English, Safed Petha, Kashi Phal in Hindi and boodu kumbalakayi in Kannada.
As the Ash gourd is called as Kashi Phal in Hindi, the sweet (halwa) prepared out of it is called as Kashi halwa. But many people confuse it to the holy place Kashi or Banaras or Varanasi or Prayagraj.
This Kashi halwa or damrot is a standard feature in weddings of Karnataka. For so many years it was a compulsory sweet during ”varapooje event” in wedding, which is held on the eve of the wedding day and I learnt this recipe from a cook during one of our house function
Ash guard has got 95% water content which is considered good in Hypertension patients. It also contains calcium and it helps in weight loss too I guess. So today sharing the recipe of how to make Kashi halwa/dumrot
Long ago ie in 2019 I had published this recipe, but later due to some error I got mail from my viewers that the link is not working, when I checked even I couldn’t open the link due to some error, so again immediately I re published this recipe in 2024
Ingredients : measuring cup used – 250 ml , serves – 4 to 5 persons
- Grated kumbalakayi/ash gourd/Petha – 4 cups or 580 gms
- Sugar – 1 cup or 200 gms (adjust) (I have put raw cane sugar, which in fact adds to the color of this halwa)
- Semolina/rave/sooji – 3 tbsp
- Saffron strands – 1/2 tsp (optional, but I always put)
- Ghee – 3 to 4 tbsp
- Cashew nuts – 3 tbsp (adjust)
- Raisins – 2 tbsp (adjust)
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
PROCEDURE :
- Soak saffron strands in a spoon full of hot water
- How I do is, I put grated ash gourd along with its water in a strainer, once maximum water is strained, press it gently and remove some more water by keeping it moist
- Transfer the ash gourd to a Pan or Kadai, also put sugar and stir, First the sugar will melt and the mixture turns watery, then again mixture turns thick gradually in sugar water itself
- Meanwhile heat ghee and put semolina, cashews and raisins, stir until turns golden coloured
- Once the mixture turns thick, reduce the heat, you need to put soaked saffron now if you are using, mix well and then pour the semolina, cashew, raisin tempering
- Stir everything well continuously on high heat for a minute or so, remove from the heat
- Kashi halwa or Dumrot is ready
