Lauki Halwa Dudhi Halwa Recipes

DUDHI HALWA (LAUKI HALWA)

Steps:

• Wash the lauki well. Peel it and start grating from sides and discard center part with seeds.
• Use bigger sized grater otherwise, you will get mushy lauki. After grating, loosely pack in measuring cup and measure 1 ½ cups.
• Chop the almonds and cashews, keep them ready.
• Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add grated lauki. Cook with stirring occasionally till all the moisture from lauki is evaporated. It will reduce in size and becomes soft. It took me 10-12 minutes.
• Then add milk and bring to a simmer and continue cooking till all the milk is evaporated. Be patience, it will take some time.
• Do stir in between and scrape the sides and the bottom of the pan. So the milk solids do not stick and burn on the sides of the pan.
• Now the milk is reduced and all the moisture is evaporated, add sugar. As the sugar melts again it becomes thin and runny. Keep cooking and stirring till all the water is gone.
• When it is almost ready, add cardamom powder.
• Also, add chopped cashews and almonds. Mix well.
• When there are no more bubbles from the mixture. means all the moisture is evaporated and the halwa is ready.
• Turn off the stove.

LAUKI HALWA | DUDHI HALWA

Steps:

• Pour milk to a wide heavy bottom pan or kadai. Bring it to boil. Then simmer (on low flame) until it reduces and thickens slightly. I do it until I grate the bottle gourd and fry it in ghee.
• While the milk boils, rinse the bottle gourd under running water. Peel it. Taste it and make sure it is not bitter or too sour. Then grate it either using a food processor or a hand grater.
• I prefer a fine grater for this. Remove the seeds. I remove the complete center portion.
• Heat 2½ tbsp ghee in a heavy bottom kadai. Add lauki and fry until the moisture dries up completely. Keep stirring in between so it doesn't burn. This takes about 7 to 10 mins.
• While the lauki is sauteed also make sure the milk is boiling and has thickened slightly.
• Whisk it well with a whisk to break up the cream. Pour the hot milk to the hot lauki.
• Mix and cook on a medium to low flame stirring often until the mixture thickens and moisture evaporates.
• Add sugar and continue to cook. The mixture turns gooey again. Keep stirring and cook until the bottle gourd halwa turns thick.
• Sprinkle cardamom powder and then pour 1 tsp ghee. Mix and cook for a few mins.
• Garnish lauki ka halwa with sliced almonds, cashews and pistachios. It can be served warm or chilled.