Udupi hotels and cuisine are well recognised for their delectable morning breakfast specialties. The majority of the udupi hotels, which are well-known throughout India, have it prominently displayed. However, certain dessert dishes are unique to Udupi, unrecognised by many and far away from restaurant culture, and one such dessert is Khushamnda Lehyam. It is also called Kashi Halwa.
A well-known and traditional delicacy made with sugar and the vegetable ash gourd. It comes from the popular udupi cuisine and is often a special occasion dessert made with fine ingredients. Most frequently, it is eaten during the midday feast or as a substitute for the kesari bath at breakfast.
In Addition to many other vitamins, ash gourd also contains trace levels of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese. Ash gourd is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as flavonoids and carotenes, two antioxidants that may help shield your body from cellular damage and certain diseases including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Mystery of Ash Gourd
It's unclear where the Ash Gourd originated. It's probable that it's an Indo-Malaysian native. The ash gourd is more frequently grown in the Old World's tropical regions than in the New World. Up to a height of 1500 m, it is extensively farmed in the plains of India, Burma, and Sri Lanka. It is a significant warm-season cucurbit that is cultivated for its sweet, hairy fruits, which are used in confections and Ayurvedic medicine formulations. Fruit that is not quite ripe is used to cook as vegetable, whereas fruit that is ripe is made as candies.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Ash gourd/White Pumpkin, grated
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
- Saffron strands , a few
- 10 Cashew nuts , halved/broken
- 3 tablespoons Ghee
Method :
- To begin preparing Ash Gourd Khushmanda Lehyam in the Karnataka style, heat a pan over medium heat
- Cashews should be added and sauteed in 1 tablespoon ghee until they turn golden brown
- Turn off the heat when they're done, then set them aside
- Next, add the grated ash gourd to a frying pan that has been prepared and sauté the ash gourd on medium heat until all the water has evaporated and it is tender and soft
- It would take 15 to 20 minutes to cook the ash gourd using this technique
- To ensure that the ash gourd cooks evenly and doesn't burn or cling to the bottom of the pan, stir it occasionally
- The sugar, cardamom powder, and a few strands of saffron should be added after the ash gourd has finished cooking and stir continuously until the halwa thickens and the sugar dissolves
- When the khushmanda leyham starts to leave the pan's sides, add the remaining ghee and stir the halwa once more for about 10 minutes
- Add the roasted cashews and stir
- After thoroughly combining, turn off the heat
- Serve hot or cold Karnataka Style Khushmanda lehyam Recipe With Ash Gourd by setting it onto serving dishes.
You can also serve Karnataka Style Kashi Halwa Recipe With Ash Gourd along with a festive breakfast meal plate of Masala Akki Roti, Kopparai Thengai Milagai Podi and Red Chilli Coconut Chutney.