Petha Mithai Recipe

Petha is a climbing herb and fruits are cylindrical or spheroidal gourd. The young fruit is used as a vegetable and make into curries, while the ripe fruit is cut into pieces and candied.

It is translucent looking, soft, chewy and candy-like, eaten dry or dipped in sugar syrup (chashni). Petha is of rectangular or cylindrical shape and loved by kids and adults alike. With the growing demand of this Indian dessert, there is now a wide variety of Petha available including kesar petha and angoori petha.

100 grams of safed petha contains 34 grams of protein. Petha is made from the ash gourd and, by its very nature, has a cooling effect on our system. Therefore, it should be avoided when you have a fever, cold, cough, or sinus infection.

Ingredients

•  1 Kg White pumpkin (large and hard)
•  2 tsp Chemical lime
•  3 Cups Sugar
•  3 Cups Water
•  2 Tbsp Milk mixed with 2 tbsp water
•  1 Tbsp Lemon juice
•  3-4 Green cardamoms-peeled and crushed
•  1 tsp Gulab jal

Procedure

1.  Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and the soft, fibrous portion.
2.  Cut into large thick slices.
3.  Prick well with a fork all over.
4.  Dissolve 1 teaspoon of chemical lime in enough water to cover the pumpkin pieces.
5.  Soak them in this water and wash well. Cut into cubes.
6.  Make lime water solution with the remaining tsp of chemical lime.
7.  Soak the pumpkin pieces once more in the freshly made lime water for 2 hours.
8.  Drain pieces and wash thoroughly, squeezing out water and rinsing again so that no trace of lime remains.
9.  Boil enough water to take in the pumpkin pieces, add the pieces to it and cook till soft and transparent.
10.  Meanwhile, fill 3 cups of water and the sugar in a pan; place over low heat, stirring till sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.
11.  Add the lemon juice and the cardamoms and cook till it reaches 'one thread' consistency.
12.  Skim off any foam that may collect along the sides of the pan.
13.  Keep the syrup warm.
14.  When the pumpkin pieces are cooked, drain with a slotted spoon and transfer into the syrup.
15.  Simmer for a couple minutes, take off stove and add the rose water and mix well.
16.  Cool and serve.

Health Benefits Of Petha Mithai Recipe

•  It is beneficial for people who have heart diseases as ash gourd juice helps to open up blocked arteries. It also improves the functioning of the pancreas and stimulates insulin, thereby making it good for patients suffering from diabetes.
•  It is used as an effective antidote of many kinds of vegetable, mercurial and alcoholic poisoning.
•  It is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
•  Petha juice is also a good way to control unwanted weight gains. Drinking petha juice instead of tea or coffee can better curb your appetite.
•  Petha is rich in calcium and phosphorus, making it good for our bones.
•  Petha is also an excellent method of treating asthma. Drinking a glass of petha juice everyday has been shown to keep asthma in control.
•  It is used to induce sleep.
•  The juice is good for those who have aggressive and violent nature. It helps to cool down these disorders.
•  It has blood-clotting properties.
•  People who like to have sweets can instead eat petha sweets. Although they contain sugar, petha sweets can work as a substitute when petha juice is unavailable or when someone strongly dislikes the juice.