How to make Ancient Ragi Milk Halwa, Keppai Paal Halwa
A soft, ghee-rich ragi halwa once made in Tamil Muslim homes after Bakrid — this revival sweet is slow-cooked from freshly extracted millet milk and meant to be savored, not sliced.
It all began with a conversation over filter coffee. My friend’s mother was talking about old Tamil vratham foods, and somewhere in that flow, she softly mentioned a recipe — a sweet dish made with parangikai/ gummadi kaaya, jaggery, and coconut milk, something her own mother would make on Purattasi Saturdays, especially when dairy was avoided.
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She said it was the kind of recipe you won’t find in standard cookbooks, but one that draws from Tamil temple traditions and ingredients praised in older texts — thengai paal, vellam, seeraga parangikai. That stayed with me. I began exploring bits of Sangam literature, temple food references from Tanjore and Chidambaram, and ancient paatti vaithiyam books that spoke of pairing pumpkin with jaggery and coconut milk for both nourishment and coolness.
In my version, I’ve used organic cane sugar instead of jaggery — to preserve the natural golden-orange hue of the pumpkin, and let its beauty shine through without being masked by the deeper color of jaggery.
This Parangikai Halwa with Coconut Milk is my humble revival of that story — soft, light, and made without ghee or milk. Whether you’re looking for a vegan pumpkin halwa, a fasting sweet without dairy, or a wholesome Indian coconut milk dessert, this one brings comfort with every spoon.
Pumpkin, or parangikai, wasn’t just a vegetable in ancient Tamil homes — it was revered for its cooling nature and sattvic quality, often cooked during vratham days and amavasai offerings. In many temple towns like Chidambaram and Tanjore, dishes made without ghee or milk were common during fasting rituals, where thengai paal (coconut milk) and vellam (jaggery) replaced dairy in sweets.
While exact recipes weren’t recorded, texts and temple kitchen notes spoke of slowly cooked dishes with grated pumpkin, melted jaggery, and coconut milk — meant to nourish, cool the body, and honor the divine. It’s through oral stories like the one shared by my friend’s mother, and quiet mentions in Sangam-era texts and paatti vaithiyam traditions, that this sweet resurfaced.
This Parangikai Halwa with Coconut Milk is not just a recipe — it’s a gentle echo from Tamil kitchens of the past, revived through curiosity, storytelling, and slow fire.
Jump to RecipeIngredient | Role in the Recipe |
---|---|
Yellow pumpkin (Parangikai/ Gummadi kaaya) | Main ingredient; gives body, natural sweetness, and vibrant golden-orange color |
Thick coconut milk | Lends creamy richness without dairy milk; brings traditional flavor |
Organic cane sugar | Sweetener; preserves pumpkin’s natural color and provides gentle sweetness |
Cardamom powder | Adds warm aroma and depth; a signature halwa flavor |
Cashews | Roasted in ghee; adds nutty crunch and richness |
Raisins | Provides bursts of sweetness and a soft, chewy texture |
Ghee | Used for roasting nuts and enriching the halwa with traditional flavor |
Pinch of salt | Enhances overall taste by balancing sweetness |
Yes! This Parangikai Halwa with Coconut Milk is made without ghee or dairy milk, making it ideal for those looking for a vegan pumpkin sweet or a Tamil fasting dessert.
Coconut milk can curdle if cooked on high heat or boiled too long after adding sugar. Always cook on low flame, and add coconut milk before sugar to prevent curdling in halwa recipes.
For a lighter color and soft sweetness, use organic cane sugar. If you prefer a deep caramel flavor, you can use jaggery in pumpkin halwa — but it will change the color and taste.
Yes! Use full-fat canned coconut milk for halwa. Just shake the can well and avoid light versions. It works wonderfully in South Indian sweets made with coconut milk.
Not directly. This halwa is a revival-style recipe, inspired by fasting foods, oral traditions, and references to ingredients found in temple cuisine and Sangam-era cooking practices.
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