Ingredients:
Filo Pastry (Phyllo) sheets - 6/7 sheets
Bottle gourd - 250 grams
Milk - 200ml
Butter / clarified ghee - 1tbs
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Milk powder - 4 tbsp
Cardamom - 2 pods
Saffron - few strings
Pre - Preparation:
* Add saffron strings into 2 tbs of milk and keep aside in a cup
* Grate bottle guard in a plate and keep aside
Procedure:
* Take a pan on medium to low heat and add butter / ghee, let it melt
* Add grated bottle gourd, milk and crushed cardamom
* Once it has boiled, cover half of it and let it cook
* Keep an eye so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom
* Once you see it has cooked, add sugar and slowly mix, cook till the sugar melts
* At this point lower the heat add milk powder and saffron milk
* Give a good mix
* The mixture will thicken fast
* Switch off the stove and let it cool
* Take an individual filo pastry sheet and place the above mixture in the corner and fold it like Chinese crepes, make it long in shape like cigars, seal the ends with ghee or butter and keep aside
* Repeat the same for the rest of the pastry
* Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius
* Place all the cigars in a baking tray
* Coat them with butter or ghee
* Bake them for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown
* Remove them in a serving plate, drizzle some sugar syrup and garnish with sliced pistachio and dried rose petals.
* Serve hot/cold as per your desire.