Here’s what makes white pumpkin ‘highly nutritious and therapeutic’ (plus, a special halva recipe inside)

Known as ‘kohla’ in Marathi, white pumpkin is widely used in South India to prepare avial (vegetable), sambar, kadhi, halva etc., food expert Rekha Diwekar wrote on Instagram.

Calling this humble vegetable “highly nutritious and therapeutic”, she went on to share a special halva recipe which is a great way to beat the summer heat.

“Here is a recipe for halva which can be easily made and stored in the refrigerator for about 15 days,” she wrote on Instagram.

Here is how you can make it!

Ingredients

White pumpkin

Sugar

Elaichi/nutmeg (as per your choice).

A post shared by Rekha Diwekar (@rekhadiwekar)

A post shared by Rekha Diwekar (@rekhadiwekar)

Recipe

Take white pumpkin.

Remove the skin.

Grate it (don’t throw water).

Mix with sugar (Add one bowl of sugar for 5 bowls of grated pumpkin) and heat till it becomes almost dry (not completely dry).

Add elaichi powder/nutmeg powder.

Add dry fruits if you want.

“No khava, milk should be added so that it remains in good condition for a longer time,” she said, adding: “You can eat just like that or with roti.”

Benefits of white pumpkin

White pumpkin comes packed with loads of health benefits. “It’s water content is very high, about 94 per cent, so in summers a halva is eaten before going out so that you don’t get affected by extreme heat due to its cooling nature. It is a very good source of few B vitamins and minerals like calcium and potassium,” Diwekar said.

Agreed Dr Rachna Agarwal, a nutritionist, and said, “It is rich in fibre and hence is helpful in curing constipation. It is also rich vitamin A.”