Calabaza En Tacha or Mexican Candied Pumpkin Recipe
A Mexican pumpkin dessert simmered in a piloncillo and spices syrup then drizzled with evaporated milk. This is a traditional Day of the Dead altar ofrenda recipe.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 191kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs or 1 kilo of raw pumpkin chopped into even size pieces
- 2 whole Mexican canela sticks Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 pinch large pinch ground cardamom or 3 cardamom pods bruised, optional
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 whole allspice
- orange peel from one small orange or one small orange sliced
- 1 pinch salt optional
- 1 cone piloncillo or 2/3 cup brown sugar + 1 heaping tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups water or 500 ml
- 1 can unsweetened evaporated milk (use a vegan milk or regular evaporated milk)
Instructions
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and clean the pumpkin, pat dry, then cut into even-size pieces. Make a couple of cuts on the skin of each piece to help it absorb more syrup flavor.
- Pour the water into a medium-large pot, then add all the spices, piloncillo or sugar and molasses if using that instead. Bring to a soft boil, stir often to help dissolve the piloncillo or sugar.
- Once the piloncillo has dissolved, gently place the pumpkin slices in the pot. The first layer flesh-side down to help it absorb more flavor. Next layers should also be flesh side down. Cover the pot.
- Turn heat to medium low and allow to simmer until the pumpkin is tender, you should carefully flip the pumpkin so that both the top and bottom layers cook and absorb the flavor of the spices and piloncillo.
- Gently remove the pumpkin from the pot and allow to cool on a separate large plate. The remaining liquid from the pot will be reduced down even more to make a delicious spiced piloncillo syrup.
- Remove as much of the spices as possible, Over medium heat and stirring often, reduce the liquid to half of what it was and until it reaches a thicker consistency almost like syrup.
- Turn heat off, allow to cool and if not using right away store in the refrigerator. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve before using.
- Once ready to eat the pumpkin you can either serve it cool or slightly warm. Pour some evaporated milk or regular milk or cream over the pumpkin, then drizzle some syrup over it.
- Place cooled leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The pumpkin will keep fresh for 4 days and the syrup for up to a week refrigerated.
Notes
*You can use fairytale pumpkin, cinderella pumpkin, or pie pumpkins.
Cut the pumpkin into chunks or even-sized small wedges. It's really up to which way to cut, either works perfectly fine.
Many traditional recipes leave the seeds and stringy bits attached to the pumpkin, it's up to you.
Please know that different pumpkin varieties will cook at different times, so keep checking on the pot as it simmers.
**Piloncillo can be found at Latin food markets either under the piloncillo or panela name, and on Amazon.
If you'd like you can also add 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice for extra flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servings | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 21457IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 2mg
