Papaya Halwa (Papite ka Halwa)

Papaya halwa recipe - Indian dessert made from the ripe papaya fruit. It is flavored with cardamom seeds powder and garnished with cashew nuts.

Papaya fruit is called ‘Papita’ in Hindi. Hence the in Hindi, it is papite ka halwa.

When it comes to the fruits, I and hubby always prefer to have it as such. I do like them in smoothies once in a while. Other than that I rarely make any recipe using fruits. That’s why you don’t see me posting recipes made with fruits except for beverages.

Papaya is the fruit which hubby does not like at all. So it is always for me only. I had huge ripe papaya lying in the kitchen. I have cut up the pieces and stored in the container for a couple of days for me. I know it was too much that I couldn’t finish by myself. and I do not want to throw any single piece. So I have made this papaya halwa.

This papaya halwa is a healthy sweet recipe compared to other halwa. Because here I have used very ripe papaya which is already really sweet. So I have added very less sugar in it which makes it low in calories and healthy.

Also, I have used very little milk while making papaya halwa. So this papite ka halwa is light on the stomach, yes not heavy at all like Indian sweets. If you want to make it rich, you can add milk powder or khoya or heavy cream instead of milk.

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

1) Take ripe papaya. Wash the papaya well. Cut into half then remove the seeds and peel it. Also cut and discard the top and bottom port (Pith/stem).

2) Cut into large pieces and start grating them using the box grater. You can use a food processor as well.

3) Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan on medium heat. Fry the cashews till they are golden brown. Drain it and remove it to a separate bowl and keep it aside.

4) In the remaining ghee, add grated papaya.

5) Mix well and keep cooking till all the moisture is evaporated.

6) It took me 10 minutes. Do stir once in a while.

7) Now add sugar and milk.

8) Mix well. As sugar melts and because of milk addition, it will become runny again.

9) Continue cooking with stirring occasionally.

10) Cook till it is dry and gets halwa consistency.

11) Now add 1 teaspoon of ghee.

12) Mix it well and turn off the stove.

13) Lastly, add fried cashews and cardamom powder.

14) Stir well. Halwa is ready to serve.

Serve papaya halwa hot or warm or chilled.

Expert Tips:

• Instead of grated papaya, you can chop into small pieces and mash them during the cooking process to get the halwa consistency.
• The sugar quantity is adjustable. taste the papaya before making halwa and add sugar accordingly. If your papaya is sweeter then you need less sugar. If your papaya is semi-ripe then you will need more sugar.
• Yes, you can make this halwa with semi-ripe papaya as well. The taste will be different but good.

Check out other halwa recipes
 Lauki halwa  //  Banana sheera (halwa)  //  Pineapple halwa // Pumpkin halwa // Mango halwa // Beetroot halwa

Did you try this papaya halwa recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.