Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd Halwa

How to make Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd Halwa

             

            This was the very first sweet that I ever made, probably in my late teens. I remember my great grandma watching me fumble my way through the steps of the recipe that I had written down possibly from a Tamil magazine or newspaper. What I liked about this recipe is that it uses the basic ingredients that would already be available in an average Tamil household in that time period & does not ask for mawa or food colors etc. Of course, if you like you can substitute evaporated milk, mawa or food colors as you like. I have tweaked the recipe by using the pressure cooker to speed up the process. Do try this easy recipe & enjoy.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 large sorakkai/bottle gourd- 5 cups grated/minced
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk/regular milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
A pinch of salt

For frying

1 tbsp ghee
A few cashewnuts

Stovetop method

• Wash, peel, remove the seedy area & finely mince the bottle gourd in a chopper. You can also use a grater & grate the bottle gourd. Squeeze out the juice and set aside as we will not be using it in the recipe.

• Heat a pressure pan on medium heat, add the minced/grated bottle gourd, a cup of milk & 3/4th of a cup of sugar. Stir, close, add the whistle & let cook on medium heat for three whistles. When done, let the steam out manually or naturally. Add turmeric powder, cardamom powder, salt & keep stirring occasionally until all the liquid evaporates. 

• Meanwhile heat a tiny pan with ghee, fry the cashews until golden brown & add it to the halwa when most of the liquid has evaporated. 

• Simmer for a few minutes until you get halwa consistency & serve warm or cold.

Sharing this simple yet delicious recipe with my fellow bloggers at SriValli's CCC #57 Aug Week 3.