Lauki Halwa (Step by Step)

Lauki Halwa or Dudhi Halwa recipe with step by step photos – is a popular Indian dessert or pudding made with bottlegourd, evaporated milk, full cream milk and sugar. Additionally you could add dry fruits to make the more richer and flavorful. Hmmm my mouth is already watering just writing about this recipe 🙂

This dessert is a very traditional and popular Indian dessert made during festive occasion. Had bottlegourd lying in the fridge for some time. Was wondering and pondering what to make from them?? sound’s like a poem 😉 generally make pakoras (fritters) from lauki or add them in sambar.

But this time thought of making halwa as also had some dry evaporated milk (mava). Now you could make the halwa without mava or with mava. When you make halwa with mava it gives a great flavor and shortens the cooking process. However adding evaporated milk is optional. You could also check my earlier post on lauki halwa made with condensed milk.

This dessert takes less than 20 mins to cook. If you don’t use mava then it would be time consuming but both ways the halwa tastes good. So it’s upto you which recipe to follow.

I was luck my mother made this lauki halwa while I just went click click. The taste is awesome even people who run away from lauki would like this dessert. At the same time bottlegourd is healthy for our skin, body and hair so do include them in your daily diet.

Let’s make Lauki Halwa recipe with step by step instructions:

1. Firstly peel the skin of lauki (bottlegourd). My mother is peeling them with a knife you could use a peeler.

2. Slice them into big size lengthwise. Check if they have seed and remove if any.

3. Grate them on a grater and place aside.

4. Gently squeeze the grated mixture with your hand. Let the extra juice or moisture flow from them. Discard the excess juice.

5. Add ghee or oil on a heavy bottomed sauce pan.

6. Now add the grated lauki.

7. Stir nicely and allow to cook.

8. After 2-3  mins add the dryfruits.

9. Time to add the mava.

10. Keep stirring and cooking for 3-4 mins.

11. Add sugar and salt. Stir for a minute.

12. Now pour milk and mix nicely.

13. Add the saffron infused milk and combine nicely.

14. Allow to cook until the mixture starts drying and becomes thick.

15. If you want to add color then add now.

16. Keep stirring and you would start seeing oil towards the edges of the pan.

17. Add the cardamom powder and cook for a minute more and then switch off the gas.

18. Remove and put them in the serving moulds. Garnish with dry fruits and saffron on top.

You could serve Lauki halwa hot or chilled.

If you are looking for more dessert recipes the do check boondi ladoo, badam puri, gulab jamun, dudhi halwa with condensed milk, kaju katli, sweet shankarpali, chocolate peda, milk peda, nankhatai, basundi and uniyappams.

Lauki Halwa recipe and the printable version below:

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Lauki Halwa or Dudhi Halwa Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

<g class="gr_ gr_180 gr-alert gr_gramm undefined Grammar multiReplace" id="180" data-gr-id="180">Easy</g> Lauki (<g class="gr_ gr_178 gr-alert gr_spell undefined ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="178" data-gr-id="178">bottlegourd</g>) halwa (dessert) recipe made mostly in India during festival season.

Author: Maria@flavorsofmumbai.com

Recipe type: Dessert

RecipeCuisine: Indian

Serves: 2-3

recipeIngredient (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 200 ml 0r 8 oz of bottlegourd + more 2 tbsp grated bottlegourd (lauki)
• 1 tbsp silvered almonds (badam) optional
• 1 tbsp chopped cashews (kaju) optional
• 1 tbsp chopped pistachios (pista) optional
• 1.5 tbsp ghee or oil (i have used ghee)
• 50 gm evaporated milk (mava)
• 3 tbsp sugar or as required (shakar)
• 100 ml full cream milk (doodh)
• 8-10 saffron strands infused in 2 tbsp hot milk (kesar)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
• a pinch of green color (optional) hara color
• a pinch of salt (optional) namak

for garnish:

• 1 tbsp chopped nuts any of your choice optional
• few saffron strands optional

How to make the recipe?

1. Firstly peel the skin of lauki (bottlegourd).
2. Slice them into big size lengthwise. Check if they have seed and remove if any.
3. Grate them on a grater and place aside.
4. Gently squeeze the grated mixture with your hand. Let the extra juice or moisture flow from them.
5. Add ghee or oil on a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
6. Now add the grated lauki.
7. Stir nicely and allow to cook.
8. After 2-3 mins add the dryfruits.
9. Time to add the mava.
10. Keep stirring and cooking for 3-4 mins.
11. Add sugar and salt. Stir for a minute.
12. Now pour milk and mix nicely.
13. Add the saffron infused milk and combine nicely.
14. Allow to cook until the mixture starts drying and becomes thick.
15. If you want to add color then add now.
16. Keep stirring and you would start seeing oil towards the edges of the pan.
17. Add the cardamom powder and cook for a minute more and then switch off the gas.
18. Remove and put them in the serving moulds. Garnish with dry fruits and saffron on top.
19. You could serve Lauki halwa hot or chilled.

Notes

1. Please don't over-cook or under-cook the <g class="gr_ gr_203 gr-alert gr_spell undefined ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="203" data-gr-id="203">lauki</g>. They should be perfectly cooked.
2. Once you see the mixture is leaving oil towards the edges and starts thickening. Switch off the gas.
3. You could place them in moulds and serve them chilled.
4. Adding nuts and color are optional.
5. You could use skimmed milk instead of full cream milk.

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