Kumbalakayi gargi is special traditional sweet dish usually prepared on deepavaLi festival. This sweet Gargi is deep fried sweet made with sweet pumpkin, jaggery, little wheat flour with nice aroma from cardamom powder.

Sweet pumpkin or sihi kumbalaki is highly nutritious and very healthy for growing kids, rich in Vitamin A, good source of fiber which fills your stomach quickly and feels full for longer period.To name a few amazing benefits of super vegetable winter squash or Sihi kumbalakayi or cheenikai – it is low calorie, high fiber, loaded with Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Also a good source of B Complex, copper, potassium and copper as well.

Try this other pumkin recipes such as spicy pumpkin idli, sweet Idli/kadubu, pumpkin hulithove ,

Ingredients for making Kumbalakai gargi:

• 1 cup grated sweet pumpkin
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup jaggery
• 3 to 4 cardamom (powder it)
• pinch of salt
• 2 to 4 TBSP water
• 4 to 5 tbsp whole wheat flour(quantity depends on the consistency of the dough)
• 1 tsp gasagase(poppy seeds – optional)
• oil to fry

Method:

1. Cook the grated pumpkin in a thick bottom pan on medium low heat adding 1 to 2 tsp of water for a minute or 2, stirring in between.
2. After the pumpkin is cooked, remove it from the heat, melt the jaggery with 2 to 3 tbsp water in a different pan.
3. Strain this jaggery syrup to the cooked pumpkin, cook it until the raw smell of the pumpkin disappears.
4. Once the mix become little thick, turn off the heat and let it cool a bit
5. Add wheat flour little by little and mix it, I used around 3 tbsp. you have to get sticky dough consistency

To Fry the Gaargi:

1. Heat required amount of oil on medium heat.
2. Once the oil is hot(check by adding little dough)
3. just wet your hands, take desired amount of gargi dough, press it to make a disc as shown in the video, make a whole in the center, put this gently into the hot oil
4. Fry it until it turns golden brown on both the sides
5. Flip it to the other side and let it cook on both sides.
6. Once the gaargi turns golden brown on both sides,the gaargi is ready. Remove it using a perforated ladle onto a paper towel.
7. Repeat the same procedure with remaining dough( we can make around 5 gaargi)
8. Enjoy!