Pumpkin Coconut Milk Pudding

I am back with another pumpkin recipe (it's pumpkin season, and we can't get enough of it!).

Stovetop recipe for the Pumpkin Coconut Milk Pudding - a luscious, creamy, eggless pudding made with pumpkin and coconut milk sweetened with jaggery. This recipe has Kerala roots - in Kerala cuisine, this is the Pumpkin Pradhaman(aka pumpkin payasam aka mathanga payasam) - a delicious silky pudding made with pumpkin puree and coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery.

A huge thanks to my mother-in-law for helping me with the recipe. We had late-night chats about the recipe! :). I did make a slight change in the procedure to make it in one pot. She makes it with fresh coconut milk and I have adapted her recipe to make the same with canned coconut milk/coconut milk made using coconut powder. When you make it with fresh coconut milk, the procedure is slightly different (I have noted that in the recipe card).

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS?

Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.

• Pumpkin puree
• Coconut milk
• Jaggery
• Cashew nuts
• Raisins
• Coconut pieces
• Ghee
• Cardamom powder

Pumpkin - I use store bought canned pumpkin puree for this recipe, which is readily available here in the stores. If you want to use fresh pumpkin, you can either steam the pumpkin or roast it, and then mash it. Passing the mashed pumpkin through a sieve can also help to make the puree smoother.

Coconut Milk - This is a very important ingredient for the pumpkin coconut milk pudding. Traditionally, grated coconut is used to extract fresh coconut milk.(Read about it in my Coconut 101). But to make life convenient and easy, we can use canned coconut milk/ tetra pack coconut milk (which is widely available in India) or use coconut milk powder. This pudding or payasam is first cooked in thin coconut milk (also called randaam paal/moonaam paal - which translates to second and third level of extracted milk ). In order to make thin coconut milk from either canned coconut milk or tetra pack milk, you can simply dilute it with water.

To make 1 cup of thin coconut milk, dilute ½ cup of canned coconut milk with ½ cup of water. For thick coconut milk use as such.

I love using coconut milk powder to make coconut milk and my favorite brand is Maggi (feel free to sponsor us:)). I like it because I can make the exact quantity I need for a recipe so there is no wastage. I buy the milk powder in bulk and store in my freezer. Usually I follow the instructions on the package to make thick and thin coconut milk. But for this recipe, to get a richer coconut flavor, I made slight variations as follows:

To make 1 cup of thin coconut milk, I used 2 tablespoons of maggi coconut milk powder with 1 cup of water. For thick coconut milk I used 4 tablespoons of coconut milk powder for 1 cup of water.Mix with slightly warm water to make the powder to dissolve easily.

This recipe is not for a thick pudding. This pumpkin pudding is slightly runny just like the pumpkin pradhaman served in Kerala. If you like a thicker version, reduce the quantity of the thick coconut milk.

Jaggery - I have given some information about jaggery in the Pumpkin Surnali post. [Speaking of which, have you tried those beautiful golden brown, fluffy pancakes? They are super duper delicious. ]

I will also share a few links below for you to see what jaggery is if you haven't used it before(I usually use organic crushed jaggery for most of my recipes). The brands I have shared are from Amazon, but I have not personally used these brands as I buy organic jaggery from my local Indian store. Like I mentioned in the Pumpkin Surnali post, sweetness and color of jaggery varies considerably so you can adjust the quantity of jaggery to suit your taste.

Raisins/Cashew nuts-These are used as garnishes and you use them more or less depending on your taste. Since this is a creamy pudding/payasam, these also act as textural elements in the dish.

Coconut Pieces-I think this is my favorite component of the dish. Fresh coconut pieces are fried in ghee till golden brown and the aroma is heavenly! Again, these serve as garnish and also as textural component. Adjust to your taste.

Ghee-Ghee is clarified butter and is used in a lot of Indian sweets. I make ghee at home and it is a staple in my pantry, but you can also use store bought ghee. If you do not want to use ghee, then try butter/vegan butter.

Cardamom Powder-This is the spice that gives it a delicate flavor and aroma. Use it sparingly; best ground fresh from pods.

Lets take a look at the steps involved

This pumpkin coconut milk pudding is a stove recipe and does not need any major cooking skills. It comes together pretty quickly. If you like pumpkin desserts and want to try something new during this pumpkin season, try this one.

For making Indian sweets, I recommend using thick bottomed non-stick utensils. Having a thick bottomed non-stick pan helps to prevent burning during the cooking process. Use medium/medium-low heat for this recipe.

• Heat a sauce pan on medium/medium-low heat
• Roast the garnishes till slightly brown in ghee.
• Fry the pumpkin puree in ghee. This step is required to cook out the raw smell of the puree. Makes it aromatic, slightly more golden brown and rich in flavor.
• Cook the puree with jaggery. Let the puree absorb all the sweetness from the jaggery. Enjoy the sweet aroma from the pumpkin and jaggery.
• Add the thin coconut milk and cook the puree. I like to cover the sauce pan while cooking. The pumpkin puree when heated up spatters quite a lot. So Watch out! Covering the pan with a lid helps with that. Once it is cooked, lower the heat. And wait for a few seconds before you open the lid. This wait period helps the puree to settle down a bit and wont spatter as much. If you do not plan to keep stirring at this point, lower the temperature to medium low. Do not lave it unattended.
• Add the thick coconut milk and cardamom powder. Mix well.
• Add the garnishes reserving some to use later while serving.
• The pumpkin coconut milk pudding thickens slightly once cooled.

how to serve the pudding?

This pudding can be served either warm or chilled(I prefer mine chilled). It's also important to note that the pudding thickens slightly on cooling.

I like to use the reserved garnishes after I pour the pumpkin pudding into serving glasses. They look beautiful against the golden backdrop of the pudding.

In Kerala, if this payasam is made during a feast, then it is served hot on a banana leaf at the end of the meal.

More sweets recipes

• Rich creamy semiya payasam in instant pot. Easy recipe made easier with instant pot.
• Carrot Laddus - These are super tasty carrot truffles. Very easy to prepare and store.
• RIGO JANCSI - Chocolate lovers delight! Imagine a layer of chocolate cake, topped with chocolate glaze and filled with chocolate mousse topped with another layer of chocolate cake and chocolate glaze – suffice to say, this would satisfy all your chocolate craving.
• Rose and Saffron Panna Cotta with Berry Compote - The quintessential Italian dessert gets a makeover. Enjoy!

Meal prep tip and storing leftovers

• If you are making pumpkin puree from scratch, follow the recipe for the same and the storage directions.
• Sauté the pumpkin puree in ghee and jaggery and freeze it for later use. You can thaw and then cook with coconut milk.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a 2-3 days. Serve chilled or warm as per your taste.

Additional Notes

• 1 cup = 250 ml. Typical US cups are 240 ml. You can use US cups for measurements without any drastic difference in the recipe.
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale etc.
• Adjust the sweetness of the pudding by adjusting the quantity of the jaggery.
• Adjust the thickness of the pudding by adjusting the quantity of the thick coconut milk. You can start by adding ½ cup and if you want it thinner, add more.
• If you are using fresh coconut milk, remove from heat as soon as you ad the thick coconut milk. This will prevent it from curdling or turning grainy.

Pumpkin Coconut Milk Pudding

Stove top recipe for the Pumpkin Coconut Milk Pudding - a luscious, creamy eggless pudding made with pumpkin. Of course, this recipe has Kerala roots - In the Kerala cuisine, this would be called the Pumpkin Pradhaman - a delicious silky pudding made with pumpkin puree and coconut milk sweetened with jaggery.

Print Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp Ghee; divided
• 2 tbsp Cashew
• 1 tbsp Raisins
• 30 gms ¼ cup Coconut Pieces
• 250 gms 1 cup Pumpkin puree
• 80 gms ½ cup Jaggery; to taste
• 250 ml 1 cup Thin coconut milk
• ~250 ml ~1 cup Thick coconut milk; adjust to desired consistency
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder

Instructions

 

• Heat a sauce pan on medium/medium-low heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Roast cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside for garnish.
• Add coconut pieces and fry until slightly brown and aromatic. transfer to a plate and set aside for garnish.
• To the same sauce pan add, the rest of the ghee and pumpkin puree. Fry the puree for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the jaggery and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes until all the jaggery is absorbed and the color turns slightly darker brown.
• Add thin coconut milk; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. Do not leave unattended. Make sure it does not burn. Pumpkin puree spatters when heating, be careful.
• Lower the temperature. Wait for a few seconds for the puree to settle down before opening the lid. [Note: this is to make sure that puree does not spatter on your hands]
• Add the thick coconut milk to get the desired consistency. Using the entire 1 cup of thick coconut milk gives you a runny pudding. For a ticker pudding, add ½ cup and then if required add more. [Note: If you are using fresh coconut milk, remove from heat as soon as you ad the thick coconut milk. This will prevent it from curdling or turning grainy]
• Add the cardamom powder and mix.
• Remove from heat. Add the garnishes reserving some for while serving.
• Serve warm or chilled.

Video

Notes

• 1 cup = 250 ml. Typical US cups are 240 ml. You can use US cups for measurements without any drastic difference in the recipe.
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale etc.
• Adjust the sweetness of the pudding by adjusting the quantity of the jaggery.
• Adjust the thickness of the pudding by adjusting the quantity of the thick coconut milk. You can start by adding ½ cup and if you want it thinner, add more.
• Once you add the thin coconut milk, the pumpkin puree when heated up spatters quite a lot. So Watch out! Covering the pan with a lid helps with that. Once it is cooked, lower the heat. And wait for a few seconds before you open the lid. This wait period helps the puree to settle down a bit and wont spatter as much. If you do not plan to keep stirring at this point, lower the temperature to medium low. Do not lave it unattended.
• If you are using fresh coconut milk, remove from heat as soon as you ad the thick coconut milk. This will prevent it from curdling or turning grainy.