Desi Fall dessert recipes featuring pumpkins in Halwas and more

Going by American food supply and availability, fall, or autumn as the rest of the world prefers to call the season, harvest pumpkins mostly in October. So it's hardly surprising why pumpkins are associated with the transition season of autumn. So we bring you easy Fall dessert recipes featuring desi sweets featuring the beloved kaddu or pumpkin. Once you try these Fall dessert recipes you might just want to keep wanting to make them, again and again.

1. Pumpkin Halwa

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ghee, plus 10 ml for finishing
• 480 gm pumpkin, cubed
• 120 ml almond milk
• 130 gm brown sugar (adjust to taste)
• 45 gm desiccated coconut
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp cashews, broken
• 1 tbsp almonds, sliced
• 1 tbsp golden raisins
• For garnish: desiccated coconut, chopped cashews, almonds, or pistachios

Instructions

1. Heat your pressure cooker on medium flame until it's properly hot then add the ghee and let it warm up.
2. Add your cubed pumpkin pieces to the hot ghee and stir the pumpkin, sauteeing for two to three minutes until the raw smell disappears. Once that happens, pour the milk and stir.
3. Proceed to seal the pressure cooker lid properly and cook on high heat for five minutes. Stop when two whistles go off.
4. Once done, carefully perform a quick pressure release and remove the lid.
5. Use a masher or fork, to thoroughly mash the cooked pumpkin to get a smooth paste.
6. Add the brown sugar and keep cooking, for a few minutes, while stirring until the mixture reduces a bit and takes on a sheen.
7. Add the coconut and cardamom powder, stir again, and wait for it to thicken further.
8. Add the cashews, almonds, and raisins and cook for a few minutes more. Just when it’s about done, add the extra ghee. Stir and take off the heat. Scoop to serving bowls, garnish and serve.

2. Pumpkin Burfi

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 120 gm milk powder
• 75 ml milk
• 75 gm powdered sugar
• 120 gm pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp 30 ml ghee, divided
• 2 tsp pistachios, slivered
• 1 tsp dried rose petals, crushed

Instructions

1. Take a kadai and add the milk powder, milk, powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cardamom powder, and 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix until smooth.
2. Cook over medium-low heat for about four to five minutes until it starts to thicken, then add the remaining ghee.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan and become cohesive.
4. It’s going to be thick but a small amount should slide off the spatula. Pinch out a small piece, let it cool, and try forming a ball, if it sticks to your fingers, cook longer with a little more ghee.
5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the mixture to it. Spread evenly pressing down to the thickness you want the burfi to be. Sprinkle pistachios and rose petals and press down gently to make them stick.
6. Let the pumpkin burfi cool for 60-90 minutes at room temperature and once firm cut into diamond or square shapes and serve.

3. Pumpkin Ladoo

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 360 gm pumpkin, freshly grated
• 90 gm desiccated coconut
• 60 gm sugar
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg powder
• ⅛ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee

Instructions

1. Heat a kadhai over medium heat and add the desiccated coconut and dry roast until golden and fragrant. Remove from pan and keep aside. Set aside 2 tbsp for coating.
2. To the same kadhai, add the grated pumpkin and cook while stirring, on medium heat until the pumpkin becomes completely soft.
3. Add toasted coconut and sugar and stir to combine. The mixture will thicken while cooking.
4. Add ghee to the mixture, sprinkle in nutmeg and cardamom powder, and mix to incorporate. Keep cooking and often stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Remove from heat and let cool slightly until warm to touch.
6. Take small portions of the pumpkin-coconut mixture and roll between palms to form balls. Then roll each ball in reserved toasted coconut.
7. Neatly arrange each prepared ladoo on a plate and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
8. Serve warm or store them in a sealed container for later.