Maharashtrian Cuisine------Kanda(Sweet Potatato,Shakkarkandh,Ganesu)Halwa[Sweet Dish -Fasting Food]

`This is a very simple,tasty and healthy halwa.When we were in Maharashtra , On Shivratri we all family members used to fast and mom used to prepare all satvick/fasting food.during fasting ,Hindu's cannot eat anything containing cereal.In Maharashtra they do lot of fasting.In karnataka ,during fasting we just don't eat rice(as its our main food).but as we are used to doing fasting like not having anything made out of wheat or rice,Now also i don't eat those when i fast.
So when we were kids we used to fast for those yummy fasting food and jagrana(bhajans and stories related to lord Shiva). Morning mom used to prepare Sabudana khichadi and for prasad shakkrakandh halwa(sweet potato halwa) and evening we will have sabudana vada and whole day in between all type of fruits.
So now also when i fast that too on Shivratri ,I prepare those food .Here when we are far away from India i feel like celebrating or doing all festivals so that our kids at least should come to know little bit of it.Last week only we had shivratri and i prepared all fasting food,so here is the recipe of it. The kandha(Genasu/sweet potato) what we get in India is much sweeter and tastier than what we get here in USA.For this recipe the sweet potato with orange flesh is better .You can prepare the same halwa with using normal potato also.

Ingredients:


3 big sweet potato
1 cup sugar/ according to your taste(depends upon the sweetness of sweet potato)
1 tsp cardamon powder(freshly grounded is better)
1/2 cup of assorted dry fruits like raisins,badam(almond)cut lengthwise,pista cut lengthwise,cashews
1/2-3/4 cup of ghee
1/2-3/4 cup whole milk/khova(optional)
kesar soaked in 2 tsp milk(optional)
grated dry coconut(garnishing)

Method:
Wash  and boil sweet potato with plenty of water in pressure cooker until very tender or you can cook in microwave also.


Peel and mash the potato with hand masher or heavy ladle or blender.

Heat a heavy bottom pan ,add 1/4 of the ghee and put raisins and cashews and fry till cashews turn brown.remove raisins and cashews and keep aside.In the same ghee add  the sweet potatoes.
Fry/stir this for 3 minutes or until ghee is start separating from the kanda.

You can add milk and cook little more in that milk stirring in between or you can avoid this step.

when milk is all absorbed add sugar,2 tsp of ghee and stirring continuously cook for 10-15 minutes or until nearly all the water from the sugar is evaporated .


Finally add 1/2 of the dry fruits,cardamon powder,kesari,remaining all ghee  and mix properly.
Keep stirring until the halwa leaves the sides of the pan .
decorate it with remaining dry fruits.

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