Pumpkin mousse : one of those healthy desserts that bring smiles on the table..


Pumpkin mousse or pumpkin pudding

And make everyone think you have worked hard for the meal. You sure have worked, but not weighing in grams and measuring in tablespoons and then whipping till the upside down bowl makes your egg whites defy gravity.

Nothing of that sort. Just grating, whipping lightly and then mixing in whatever proportion you like. Well, not measuring to grams I mean. And you do all this while your main course is cooking in a few pans over the gas stove.

You just need one burner free for five minutes total if you are making some four servings. Ten minutes for about a dozen servings. Some whipping and mixing takes another ten minutes or so and a lovely dessert is ready.

I had first seen this Pumpkin mousse in a magazine some eight years ago. I remember the time so accurately because I was in a place where glossy magazines were bought during travels only, getting them delivered at home was difficult. And cooking from these glossy magazines was fun.

 It was photographed in a Champagne flute I still remember.

 I used to make a traditional Pumpkin halwa till then, I still do that halwa but this mousse has become a quicker and tastier way to enjoy a pumpkin dessert.

Those slim Champagne flutes would be difficult if you consider practical convenience of digging your spoon in the dessert. The pictures of the glossy magazines :-)
Practicality is considered in home made food only....

One more practical tip that was missing from the recipe in that glossy magazine. Choosing the right pumpkin for this dessert. There are so many varieties of a pumpkin and each one of them has a different flavor. We get baby pumpkins that taste almost like Zucchinis and yellow fleshed, green skinned pumpkins that are more rich in texture and flavors. The most flavorful ones are the tough skinned, bright orange yellow flesh ones with a fruity aroma. The skin has a dull peachy yellow color and the pumpkin is quite hard to dig in with a knife. These are medium sized, ripe pumpkins and I am talking about the pumpkins available in India.

Once you have a slice of pumpkin and some fresh cream, you are good to go for this dessert.

ingredients...
(4-6 servings)

a slice of pumpkin weighing 250 gm
fresh cream or fresh homemade malai 2 cups (heavy whipping cream will be better, basically a cream that you can whip till soft peaks)
sugar 3-4 tbsp or to taste ( we normally like lightly sweetened desserts)
ghee 1 tsp
Chopped pistachios for garnishing

procedure....

Peel the hard skin of the pumpkin and grate it.

Grease a thick base kadai/pan with the ghee and tip in the grated pumpkin and the sugar together.

Now place the pan on the burner and start stirring it. The mixture would get sweaty first, then it would start wilting and getting cooked.

See how it is still loose consistency when half cooked and when it is cooked perfectly for the mousse.


It takes about 5-6 minutes for this quantity to get coked and dehydrated too. The cooking time depends on the moisture content of the pumpkin and can be a bit more than specified here.

The sign of the mixture getting cooked is, a slight glaze that appears over the grated cooked pumpkin strands. Although they all look clumped together. They would get separated in the whipped cream mixture.

Keep this cooked pumpkin and sugar mix aside to cool down.

Whip the fresh cream till soft peaks stage. Keep in the fridge till required.

At the the time of assembling, mix the cooked pumpkin and the whipped cream lightly using a wire whisk till all the grated pumpkin strands get separated and look like an orange yellow mosaic pattern.

Pour into serving bowls or stemmed bowls/glasses and chill again before serving.

Pumpkin mousse

Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds. Saffron can also be added.

Serve and let your guests take time to relish it. Best enjoyed in slow motion.

Spreading smiles was never easier :-)

This dessert gives a deep satiety that comes with the dairy fat. I would also emphasise on keeping the sweetness low as much you can because the taste of the pumpkin is really really good with whipped cream. You would have to taste to believe it. Extra sweetness would mask the flavor of the pumpkin and so would any flavoring if you decide to experiment.

I know many of you would be tempted to add either cardamom or pumpkin pie spice to it. Try the recipe to the T first time and then decide whether you need some additional flavors.

Pumpkin cooked this way and the cream together would be magically satiating I tell you.

Whip this mean dessert, dig your spoon and you would know how.....

If you are on a hypo-caloric diet for weight loss, you can always adjust your main course to have this dessert. This is all good fats with real cream and all the goodness of pumpkin. Sugar is minimal and you wouldn't regret a dessert like this.

Cholesterol is not related to real, quality fats. It is related to carb loading repeatedly, that keeps your insulin active all he time...healthy fats are not the culprits..

Be sure, it IS a healthy dessert.

Enjoy...

Comments

  1. wow, that looks great and so simple too. Please feel free to send it to this month's VFAM event hosted by "Ruchika Cooks"

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  2. Just feel in love with the pictures and presentation

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  3. Wowww... lovely and delicious dessert.. looks absolutely inviting.. thanks for sharing dear !!
    Indian Cuisine

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  4. now this looks interesting..but picking the right pumpkin is the key i guess???...

    http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/

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  5. really nice....the yellow pumpkin that we get easily..is the one thats used right?at any rate i use that for making pumkin pie..now i have to try this out!!!!!!!!

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  6. Yes the yellow pumpkin. Try and get the more intense colored ones. More flavorful more packed with nutrients.

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  7. this is a new dessert to me. i have to try this one out. thanks for sharing the recipe sangeeta.

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  8. Love the idea of mixing the two together Sangeeta... am so desp to try this now.. and amazing pics, no body can say its pumpkin in there.

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  9. How do you manage to make such yum stuff? ^_^

    P.s. I will surely bring a post for that military shirt :D

    Love Apurva

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  10. Hi!!

    These are beautiful clicks..the pictures have come out really well!! Would love to try it..!!
    :);)
    Sunita

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  11. Hi Sangeeta,
    gr8 post as usual:)...where in delhi do u get heavy whipping cream??..hav been luking fr sumtime.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you the do-dreamer, I never bother about looking for whipping cream. Home made malai works wonders with some added milk. Amul fresh cream (25%fat) with some added malai work well too. If you buy full fat milk you can boil the milk and refrigerate overnight, then skim the fatty layer(malai) on top, mix half half Amul fresh cream and malai and see how it works wonderfully.

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