Yellow Pumpkin Kheer | How to make Lal Bhoplyachi Kheer

Yellow Pumpkin Kheer - A to Z Maharashtrian Sweets

I no longer lament on the speed with which the days seem to fly! Still it took me by surprise that we are already in Y. This is yet another of those tough alphabets, and given my theme being sweets it was tiresome.

I initially had another choice, only to find that it was not correct. I read somewhere that Ratalyacha Sheera is yam halwa and was planning on making it. Only later realised that Ratalyacha is Sweet Potato and not Yam. Then I had an option of making Yam Halwa or Kheer, both of which were not appealing to me.

So I again pinged Pradnya, and she suggested I make something with Yellow Pumpkin. I told her that I have ready made Lal Bhoplyacha Halwa and she said I could make a kheer with it and call it Yellow Pumpkin Kheer. Lal in Marathi and Yellow in English. If you remember I actually called it Red Pumpkin, however, it does look yellow. So my next best choice Yellow Pumpkin Kheer.

This is similar to carrot kheer or any veggie kheer. They call it Bhoplyachi Keer and I was all for it. I had asked Amma to get me some pumpkin and she got me two of these small pumpkins about a couple of weeks ago. I was thinking it might go bad, later Amma confirmed that pumpkins stay good over a year if they are stored as a whole.

Every day I go back home, see the pumpkin on the table and think I should make the kheer. Finally, the day I made the Tandalachi Kheer, I decided to make this kheer as well. Yes, this was the other kheer I was talking about in that post. When Hubby Dear saw me working on the whole pictures, he asked me what I was up to. I said I was going to make Kheer and he has to eat it. He was all willing, seeing that I will not accept a no for an answer. Finally, I made this kheer later in the evening, even though the vegetable was chopped and grated.

Coming to the recipe, it looks like Pumpkin Kheer is quite popular. Pumpkin is called Parangi kai in Tamil, Gummadikaya in Telugu, Mathangya in Malayalam and kaddu in Hindi.

I have only made a Carrot Kheer before and many vegetable halwas, so Vegetable Kheers are pending. I made it pretty much the same way. With the way things went, I couldn't give this kheer to Hubby dear and took it for my colleagues. Everybody thought it was vermicelli by looking at the grated pumpkin and loved every bit of it. In fact, it was such a hit that many of them came for a second helping and wanted to know how I made it.

After a week passed and one fine dinner time, Hubby dear remembered this Kheer and asked where his share was. I said it was good that he asked about it at least a week later and didn't completely forget it. He said he was looking forward to eating that. So I might take him on his word and make this soon again.

Now to the recipe, please excuse the number of pictures I have shared, it was almost an obsession and I couldn't get myself stick to my standard 3 final pictures.

I have been wanting to try clicking in black and tried in this post. Do share your thoughts on how the pictures have turned out. I haven't enhanced the pictures much.

Lal Bhoplyachi Kheer

Ingredients Needed:

Pumpkin grated - 1 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Sugar - 1/2 cup (increase if needed)

Saffron few strands

Cardamom powder a pinch

Ghee - 1 tsp

Roasted Nuts for garnish

Yellow food colour a tiny pinch

How to make the Pumpkin Kheer:

Wash and slice the pumpkin into pieces, peel the outer skin, remove seeds, and grate it fine. Keep aside.

In a nonstick pan, heat the ghee. Roast the nuts, remove, keep it aside.

Next, add the pumpkin and saute till it is cooked, rather the raw smell leaves. This takes about 5 -7 mins while stirring continuously.

Soak Saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk.

Boil the milk in a pan, when done, simmer and continue boiling for a couple of minutes. Then add the milk to the cooked pumpkin and combine well. Simmer for 5 - 7 for the mix to get blended well.

Next, add the sugar and mix. Simmer for a couple of minutes for the sugar to melt. Add the food colour.

Finally, add the cardamom powder, saffron milk. And remove, garnish with roasted nuts

Serve hot.