Chits Kitchen

Halwa is the most popular dessert sweet dish in India which can be served along with main course meal. Lauki ka Halwa is prepared from Lauki (Bottle Gourd), Milk, Khoya (Mawa), Sugar, Cardamom Powder and Dry Nuts which is used to garnish. When it comes to preparing vegetable from Lauki, many people run away from it. But a tasty and creamy halwa of Lauki will really surprise you and you will start loving it. I personally don’t like Lauki and so never prepare vegetable from it, but one day I heard about Lauki Ka Halwa from one of my friend’s Mom and decided to give it a try. I bought it from the market after a very long time and prepared it. It was so delicious that I started to prepare it regularly. Even my friends in office also love it. Initially I asked them to taste without naming the dish. After having the taste, they asked about it and were surprised to know that it was prepared from the vegetable which they hated the most. So, not taking much of the time let’s start preparing the delicious Lauki ka Halwa.

Category: Dessert                                              Total Time: 40 minutes

Cuisine: Indian                                                   Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2 servings                                             Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: (1 Cup = 250 ml)

1. Grated Lauki (Bottle Gourd): 1/2 Kg
2. Boiled Milk: 1/2 Cup
3. Sugar: 4 tablespoon
4. Ghee: 2 tablespoon
5. Khoya (Mawa): 1/2 Cup
6. Cardamom Powder: 1/4 teaspoon
7. Chopped Cashew Nuts: 10
8. Chopped Almonds: 10
9. Raisins: 10

Directions:

1. First peel out the outer layer of the Lauki. Grate the outer part of the bottle gourd and leave the inner part of it which mainly consists of seeds. Drain out the excess water from it.
2. Now heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan and fry the chopped cashew nuts and almonds till it becomes light golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
3. Now put the grated Lauki in the same oil. Stir it and cook it for 10 minutes. Keep on stirring at regular interval so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add sugar to it and mix it. After mixing the sugar it starts leaving water. Cook till the water evaporates.
5. Now add milk and stir it. Cook the grated Lauki in milk in the same way till all the milk evaporates.
6. As the Lauki gets cooked in the milk, heat another pan to fry the Khoya. When the Khoya is cooked, it will start leaving oil. Fry it for some time and then switch off the stove. Take out in a separate bowl.
7. After the milk gets evaporated add Khoya, Cardamom powder and all the dry fruits. Mix it well.
8. Cook for another 2 minutes.
9. Switch off the stove and allow it to cool.
10. Lauki ka Halwa is ready to be served. Serve it by garnishing it with dry fruits on the top.
11. It can be served hot or by chilling it in the freeze.

Note:

1. Many sweet shops add green colour to the recipe to give it a good texture and look. If you want you can add or else let it go off.
2. Before grating the bottle gourd, do check that the vegetable taste sweet and not bitter. Bitter taste will make the halwa taste very bad.
3. The centre part of Bottle Gourd should not be grated.
4. If you are using condensed milk, the quantity of sugar to be added must be reduced. The quantity of sugar in the recipe depends on the quantity of condensed milk used since condensed milk is also very sweet.