Just a few days back, my Instagram account (@swetabiswal) crossed the 1K mark . Nothing great about the numbers when compared to successful Instagrammers yet it is a personal milestone which i felt like celebrating. And going by the Indian way, we celebrate special occasions with something sweet . "Kuch meetha ho jaye" is what we say.Around the same time, I was running out of ideas to use up a big batch of 'parwal' that had arrived from Odisha. After exhausting all the savory dishes, I decided to make something sweet of out this summer vegetable.
Parwal ka meetha is a kind of sweet made from pointed gourd. Very popular in the Northern parts of India, it is something delightful and different. But not as daringly different as I like. When it comes to experimental cooking, I love to break all the rules. Hence, a further twist to this already different recipe.
Combining the desserts and meetha paan into one, the 'Parwal ke meethey paan' is not just a complete dessert in itself but so refreshingly different. Plus it is easy to prepare and stays good for almost a week. Tastes best when served chilled so make sure to prepare a big batch in advance before inviting guests to your home.
Read on for the recipe -
Preparation Time - 30 mins
Ingredients -
Parwal ka meetha is a kind of sweet made from pointed gourd. Very popular in the Northern parts of India, it is something delightful and different. But not as daringly different as I like. When it comes to experimental cooking, I love to break all the rules. Hence, a further twist to this already different recipe.
Combining the desserts and meetha paan into one, the 'Parwal ke meethey paan' is not just a complete dessert in itself but so refreshingly different. Plus it is easy to prepare and stays good for almost a week. Tastes best when served chilled so make sure to prepare a big batch in advance before inviting guests to your home.
Read on for the recipe -
Preparation Time - 30 mins
Ingredients -
- 10-12 Parwal/Potolo/Pointed Gourd
For stuffing -
- 100 gm mawa
- 1/2 cup mixed dry fruits
- 3 tsp gulkand
- 2 tsp mukhwas
- 2-3 tsp tutti-frutti
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 3-4 betel leaves
- few drops of edible green color
- 2 tsp mukhwas
- silver foil (optional)
Preparation - Peel the pointed gourd and make a slit along the length. Remove the pith.
Boil water in a saucepan. Once it gets to a full boil, dunk the pointed gourd and let it boil for 3 mins.
Around the same time, prepare the betel flavored sugar syrup. Take 3/4 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 4 betel leaves and the edible food color in a saucepan. Stir on a medium flame it the sugar is dissolved and the syrup thickens.
Strain the pointed gourd and add it to the flavored sugar syrup. Let it boil till soft.
Remove from flame, strain the syrup and let the vegetables cool down.
Put a non-stick pan on the burner. Add the crumbled mawa and keep stirring it constantly till it gets a brown hue.
Remove and mix in the rest of the ingredients (mentioned under stuffing).
Stuff a spoonful or so of the mixture into the parwal and garnish with mukhwas and/or silver foil.
Put in the fridge for an hour or two.
Serve chilled .
Put in the fridge for an hour or two.
Serve chilled .