Learn how to make delicious, authentic North Indian halwai style kaddu ki sabzi (sweet and tangy pumpkin sabzi) without onion and garlic. Cooked with tender yellow pumpkin, aromatic spices, amchur and jaggery, this easy satvik curry pairs delightfully with hot poori, paratha or rice!
Kaddu Ki Sabzi Recipe | Pumpkin sabzi recipe is a simple and quick North Indian style Pumpkin curry. When I was looking for how to make Pumpkin sabzi, I came across different Kaddu ki sabzi recipes like Bengali style, Maharashtrian style and Gujarati style with some minor changes in each recipe. I made a fusion of all these recipes following a YouTube video. It came out finger licking delicious.
Usually I make our South Indian style Pumpkin curry directly in a pressure cooker but here I didn’t want to take risk as I am trying it for the first time. It came out so well with nice flavour and color. We loved it.
Friends, if you are bored of making South Indian Pumpkin recipes, try this North Indian style Kaddu ki Sabji. You will love it and make it more often. Please check out my Kaddu ki Sabzi video.
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Pumpkin Varieties in US: Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), butternut squash or sugar pumpkin from US stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Costco work wonderfully for this sabzi. Kabocha squash has a sweet, firm texture remarkably close to Indian yellow pumpkin (kaddu).
- Cooking Heat & Simmering: Abroad store pumpkins tend to be slightly firmer. Add a few tablespoons of water, cover with a tight lid and simmer on medium heat until fork-tender without letting the cubes get mushy.
- Sweet & Tangy Halwai Style: The authentic flavour comes from balancing jaggery with dry mango powder (amchur) or fresh lemon juice at the end. Don’t skip crushed kasoori methi—it adds that signature dhaba aroma.
- No Onion No Garlic (Satvik): This recipe is completely free of onion and garlic, making it an ideal dish for Navratri fasting, festivals or religious feast days.
Kaddu ki sabzi recipe | Pumpkin Sabzi recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup Yellow pumpkin pieces approx. 150 g / 5.3 oz
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil approx. 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp Methi seeds
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- Curry leaves few
- 1 Red chilli
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ¾ tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala powder
- Salt & water as needed
- 1 tsp Crushed Kasoori methi
- Coriander leaves to garnish
- 1 tsp Powdered jaggery approx. 5 g
- Lemon juice few drops (optional)
Instructions
Method
- Wash and peel the skin of pumpkin and chop into big cubes. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds, cumin seeds, red chilli and curry leaves.
- Add the chopped pumpkin pieces and saute for a minute. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt and mix well.
- Lastly add water and cover cook till pumpkin is cooked well.
- Add crushed kasoori methi, jaggery, coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame, add few drops of lemon juice and serve hot with rice and roti.
Video
Notes
- Spice Balance: Adjust the quantity of red chilli powder and garam masala as per your taste preference.
- Flavor Enhancers: Addition of jaggery and kasoori methi gives a wonderful halwai-style sweet and savory aroma. Don’t skip it.
- Serving: Tastes delicious when served warm with hot phulkas, pooris or steaming rice and dal.
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Try this no onion, no garlic Kaddu Ki Sabzi and enjoy with rice and roti.
A delicious recipe! Follow the recipe exactly, except using golden granulated sugar instead of jaggery. It was so good, I immediately wrote it in my book of favourite recipes.
Can you recommend any alternative spice variations for other vegetables, like carrots or potatoes?
Thank you so much! Knowing this made it into your favorite recipe book completely made my day! 🥰 Golden granulated sugar is a wonderful swap to balance the taste.
You can absolutely use this Khatta Meetha (tangy-sweet) style for other veggies:
For Carrots: Use the same recipe, but add a little fresh ginger—it pairs beautifully with the natural sweetness of carrots.
For Potatoes: Follow the same method, but add a pinch of garam masala powder and fresh coriander at the end for a perfect chatpata Aloo side dish.
Do let me know how it turns out if you try it!