Diwali is a time for lots of great food, a lot of it sweet, and in Indian kitchens the flurry begins weeks in advance. Sweets like laddoos and burfis and savory foods like chivda and chaklis are cooked and stashed away for the big day, to be eaten and shared. Since most Indian sweets make liberal use of dairy products, including milk, butter and ghee, I’ve made and shared with you vegan versions of Indian sweets that are just as tasty and do not involve any animal products. Like this Butternut Squash Cashew Halwa which is made without any milk or ghee. I love this halwa because it’s not just uber delicious, it’s also rather pretty to look at. Butternut Squash is not a vegetable eaten nor – I think – available in India, but if you can’t find it, just about any winter squash will work great in this recipe, including pumpkin. I also love that this halwa doesn’t take hours to make, like some Indian sweets do. It does involve some stirring and watching, but the halwa comes together in under 45 minutes, leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy your Diwali or the rest of the day. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
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More vegan Indian sweets
