1 kg of Ash Gourd/White Pumpkin (Safaid Petha) 4 Green Cardamoms (Choti Ilaichi) (peeled & crushed) 2 tsp. of Chemical Lime (Chuna) 3 cups (3/4 kg) of Sugar 1 tbsp. of Lemon Juice 1 tsp. of Rose Water (Gulaab Arakh) 3 cups of Water 1) Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds and the soft portion (fibres). Cut it into large, thick slices. Prick well with a fork, all over. 2) Dissolve 1 tsp. of lemon juice in water to cover the pumpkin and soak it for 2 hours. Remove the pieces from the water, discard the water and wash the pieces well. Cut pieces into cubes and soak once again in alot of lime for another 2 hours. 3) Drain the pieces and wash thoroughly, squeezing out the water and rinsing it again so that no trace of the lime remains. Boil the water and cook the ashgourd until it is well cooked through and transparent. 4) In the meantime, make a syrup out of the sugar, water, lemon juice and cardamoms until one thread consistency. 5) Keep the syrup warm and when the ashgourd pieces are cooked through, lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them into the syrup. Simmer for a couple of minutes, shut off the heat and add the rose water and mix well.

Degree of Difficulty: Medium Recipe Category: Sweets/Desserts Recipe Ethnic Group: Pakistani

Recipe Requested by, M. Tahir (Pakistan)

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