Pumpkin Kheer / Mathan payasam

This version of pumpkin kheer is very easy to make.

This recipe serves 6-8 persons.

 Ingredients:

• Ripe yellow pumpkin  - 3/4 kg
• Sugar - 350 grams (for every cup of pumpkin puree, add 1/2 cup of sugar)
• Milk - 1.5 litre
• Cashew - 10-12 nos.
• Rose essence- 2-3 drops
• Cardamom pwd - 1/4 tsp.
• Roasted sliced almonds - for garnishing

Method:

• Pressure cook the pumpkin with sufficient water and mash it well. You can also cook in a microwave for 7 min.
• Avoid cooking with excess water. Cook well so that it can be mashed in to a fine puree.     

     
     

• To the hot puree, add sugar and mix well. Set aside to cool.   
• Condense the 1.5 litre milk (keep it in the pressure cooker for 20 mins on a low flame.You can drop a  spoon inside the container so that the milk does not spill out of the pressure cooker)
• Soak cashews in 2 tbsp of hot milk for a while.
• Blend the soaked cashews along with the milk and add it to the condensed milk.
• Set aside the condensed milk to cool down to room temperature.
•  To the pumpkin-sugar mixture, add the condensed milk and mix well.
• You can taste and add little ready made condensed milk, if you require more sweetness.
• Add cardamom powder and drops of rose essence.

Mix well and serve chilled. At the time of serving, garnish with few roasted sliced almonds.

Note: Do not heat the kheer after you add the milk.