Spaghetti Squash Halwa

- Submited by Dahlia

When I first moved to US, I was quite fascinated by the different squash varieties. They were so pretty in different colors and shapes. Mostly around Halloween and thanksgiving, you can find so many varieties of squashes in supermarkets. They are used for decorations, for making jack-o-lantern as well as for recipes. Squashes are used to make pies, they are roasted and had as a side dish or used to make casseroles. Due to their mild flavor they can be consumed raw as well as used in both sweet and savory dishes. 

I have already shared a few Indian recipes using these squashes like zucchini curry, yellow squash raita, acorn squash poriyal etc. You can use them to make sabzis, poriyal, kurma, mor curry, sambhar, stir fry, salads, kheer and halwa. Today I have another dessert recipe called 'Spaghetti Squash Halwa'. In India, ash gourd is a variety of squash that is used to make kheer, halwa, agra petha etc. Since this vegetable is so similar, it tastes excellent when made as halwa. 

To tell about spaghetti squash (also called as noodle squash, vegetable spaghetti), its flesh has a unique characteristic of naturally separating into thin strands when cooked, that looks like spaghetti. These are consumed as fake spaghetti by some people who are on a low starch diet. Once the squash is cooked and separated into noodles, it can be used to make poriyal, payasam (kheer) or halwa. The seeds of the squash are large and can be roasted similar to pumpkin seeds.

Recipe For Spaghetti Squash Halwa

Ingredients

• Spaghetti Squash - 1 (medium size, about 1 lb)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (or use 2 crushed cardamom)
• Chopped cashews or almonds or any other nuts - 2-3 tbsp (for garnishing)

Preparation

Preparing the spaghetti takes the longest time but with the least effort.

1. First cut the squash lengthwise into half. Scoop out all the seeds and the fibrous part inside.
   
   
   
2. Now you have to cook the squash till soft. You can either pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles or microwave it for about 10-13 minutes. You can also bake it in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven for 1 hour.
   
3. Once the vegetable is cooked, scoop the flesh using a fork. You will see that the flesh automatically separates into thin strands similar to noodles.
   

You can use these spaghetti squash strands to make kheer or add a seasoning and serving as a quick sabzi. For now, let's make Spaghetti squash halwa!!!

Method

1. Take 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Toast the nuts till golden brown and remove it.
2. Add the scooped out spaghetti squash strands and saute for a minute.
3. Add the milk and sugar. Cook till all the liquid gets absorbed.
4. Add another tbsp of ghee and cook till the mixture moves as a single mass without sticking to the pan. You can also see a sheen as the ghee will start oozing out.
5. At this stage add the cardamom powder and toasted nuts. Mix once and switch off.

Is there anyone else out there who enjoys eating warm halwa topped with some cold vanilla ice cream!!! Yummy!!!

More Squash Recipes

Zucchini Dal	Zucchini Curry	Yellow Squash Raita	Butternut Squash Sambhar
See more ⟩⟩