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Apple pumpkin Halwa ready to serve in a white serving dish with nuts on top

Apple Pumpkin Halwa | Apple and Kaddu ka Halwa

Yamini
Apple pumpkin halwa is an easy, delicious and unique Indian dessert made using Apples and pumpkin. It is a perfect fall season dessert and will be excellent for festivals like Dussehra or Diwali.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine Indian
Servings 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb apples about 3 large Apples peeled, cored and chopped into cubes
  • 1.5 lb pie pumpkin cut into cubes I used 1 and ½ pie pumpkins, peeled, deseeded and cubed them
  • 3 tablespoons ghee clarified butter
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1.5 cup white sugar
  • 1.5 cup khoya also called khoa or mawa, See notes below for more details
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom elaichi powder
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon cinnamon powder
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • few strands of saffron optional
  • 2 tablespoons milk optional
  • Nuts of your choice to garnish I used cashew pieces and sliced almonds.

Instructions
 

  • Peel, core and chop the apple into cubes. Also, peel, cut in to half, deseed and chop the pumpkin into cubes.
  • Pressure cook apple and pumpkin pieces along with the cinnamon stick in instant pot using pot in pot method on manual high pressure 6 mins and natural release for 5 mins and then quick release the pressure. Alternatively, you can also cook them in a stovetop pressure cooker until you get 3 whistles or in a pot of water on the stovetop until they are soft enough to mash or puree. TIP: When cooking pot in the pot in an instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker, put ⅓ cup of water in the vessel of apple and pumpkin pieces and 1 cup of water in the main pot of the instant pot or on the stovetop pressure cooker to build pressure.
  • Now strain the apple and pumpkin pieces by just placing them in a strainer to remove any water and then mash them in a bowl or plate until smooth. Keep the cinnamon stick aside as we need it again. Alternatively, you can blend them in a blender without the cinnamon stick.
  • Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of ghee.
  • Add the mashed apple and pumpkin puree along with the cinnamon stick to the ghee and cook for 4 to 5 mins while stirring occasionally.
  • Now add 1.5 cups of sugar and stir well. I used powdered white sugar (confectioner's sugar) here because that is the only white sugar I have today. You can add any kind of sugar that you use regularly.
  • Let it cook for 5 mins until sugar is well dissolved and halwa starts thickening.
  • Now add 1.5 cup of khoya(khoa) and stir in well. Cook for 2 to 3 mins until khoya(khoa) is well combined with the halwa.
  • Now add ¾ tsp ground cinnamon , 1.5 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp ground cardamom ( elaichi powder ) and stir well.
  • Finally add the saffron milk ( 6 or 7 saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk ) and cook for another 2 mins until the halwa comes together beautifully. Discard the cinnamon stick.
  • Garnish with ghee roasted nuts of your choice.

Notes

  • Strain the pressure cooked apple and pumpkin pieces before mashing or making a puree to remove any water. It will save you time while cooking the halwa.
  • If you are blending to make a puree, blend without the cinnamon stick.
  • If you use organic cane sugar( which is brown in color) or brown sugar, halwa might be darker in color than what you see in the pictures.
  • Khoya or khoa also called mawa is available in many Indian grocery stores if you live outside India. You can also make it by reducing 1 litre of whole milk in a non stick pan on low to medium flame while stirring frequently until only milk solids are left which is the khoa.
  • To preserve the natural bright color of the halwa, I reduced the amount of cinnamon powder and added a whole cinnamon stick while steaming the apples and pumpkin and also while cooking the halwa. Discard it at the end.