Lauki ( bottle gourd) Halwa

  

Ingredients

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups tightly packed grated lauki or 300 grams lauki (bottle gourd or squash or dudhi)

2 cups whole milk – milk can be pasteurized or boiled before and can be used at room temperature or chilled

7 to 8 tbsp sugar or add as required

½ to 1 tsp cardamom powder

3 to 4 tbsp chopped nuts – almonds, cashews or pistachios

1 tbsp raisins – optional 

 

 

Preparations

 

First rinse, peel and grate the lauki. Before grating taste the lauki. If it tastes sour or bitter then discard and do not cook it.  You will need 2 cups tightly packed grated lauki.

Heat ghee in a heavy pan or kadai on medium-low to medium flame. Use a large kadai so that milk does not spill outside. Add the grated lauki. Mix grated lauki very well with the ghee. On a low to medium-low flame begin to saute the lauki. Stir often when sauteing lauki. Saute lauki till the moisture dries. Then add whole milk and mix very well. Continue to cook on a low to medium-low flame till the milk comes to a boil. In between do stir at times. The milk will start boiling. At this step be attentive and keep on stirring, so that the milk does not spill from the pan. Stirring often continue to cook till ¾ or 75% of the milk has reduced and absorbed. Add sugar and chopped nuts. Mix very well. You can even add 2 to 3 teaspoons of rose water or kewra water  if you want at this step. Stirring often cook till the halwa mixture starts coming together and thickens. The halwa will gradually thicken and you will see some ghee being released from the sides. There should not be any liquid in the dudhi halwa. Then switch off the heat and add golden raisins. Adding raisins is optional. Mix very well. Garnish with some chopped nuts and serve lauki halwa hot or warm. Refrigerate remaining halwa. It stays good for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

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Notes

Use lauki which has a neutral taste. It can be bland, but should not be sour or bitter.

Avoid using skimmed milk or toned milk as they may curdle.

Use only full-fat milk or whole milk. 

In case the milk splits, then continue to cook on a medium to medium-high flame stirring often, till most of the whey evaporates. Then add ghee, sugar and continue to cook on medium-low flame till all the halwa thickens and some ghee is released from the sides of the halwa. 

Sugar can be added less or more as per taste. 

You can add your choice of dry fruits and nuts.

The recipe can be halved, doubled or tripled.

 

 

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