Doodhi halwa - Lauki ka halwa
Bottle gourd pudding recipe

Bottle gourd recipes

Doodhi halwa - lauki ka halwa is bottle gourd pudding recipe. It is a popular and easy Indian sweet - dessert.

Doodhi halva can be served as a dessert, snack or as a sweet dish with a main meal.

It is one of the favorite Festival Foods.

It is a simple recipe. You can make Doodhi halva in advance and keep in the fridge for more than a week. Dudhi halva can be served hot or cold. It has a lovely color and tastes great too.

Bottle gourd - doodhi halwa

I prefer to make this lauki ka halwa as it is a vegetable based sweet recipe.

Khoa or condensed milk or homemade full cream is optional but adding that makes the halwa richer and yummy.

If you are adding sweet khoa or condensed milk, adjust the sugar quantity accordingly. I usually add fresh homemade cream to Doodhi halva as everyday I collect fresh cream from milk.

Bottle gourd - doodhi halwa

How to make Doodhi Halwa - Lauki ka halwa

Bottle gourd - doodhi halwa

Ingredients for Doodhi halwa for 4-6 servings.

Doodhi(bottle gourd / lauki) - 500gms
Milk (full cream) - 2 cups
Sugar -1/2 cup or more according to taste.
Ghee - 1 or 2 tbsp (as your diet permits)
Raisins - 10-15
Khoa or condensed milk or Fresh Cream -100 gms(I usually add homemade fresh cream which I collect from milk)
Cashew nuts, almonds, pista - 4-5 each, chopped fine
Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon.

bottle gourd - doodhi halwa ingredients

Preparation before making Doodhi halwa

grated bottle gourd - doodhi

Wash and peel Doodhi (lauki, bottle gourd).
Grate doodhi using a fine grater. \
You may also use food processor to grate doodhi to make is faster and easier.

Making Doodhi halva - Cooking method:

frying cashew nuts and raisins

Heat a deep thick bottomed pan.
Add ghee and chopped nuts. Fry the nuts and raisins for a few seconds.

fried cashew nuts and raisins

The raisins will become plump.
Do not let the nuts brown too much.
Remove from ghee on a small plate or a bowl.
Keep the raisins and nuts aside.
We will use them later.

Add grated Doodhi to the same ghee.
Stir well and mix doodhi in ghee.
Cover and cook grated doodhi about 2-3 minutes.

Add milk to the grated bottle gourd.
Stir and cook on low fire till the mixture thickens.
It may take about 15-20 minutes.
Do not cover after you add milk.

When most of the milk is absorbed in bottle gourd, add sugar. Mix well and cook some more till sugar dissolves.
When the sugar dissolves, the mixture will release some liquid.
Keep cooking and the mixture thickens again.

Add khoa/condensed milk/cream(whichever you are using). Mix well.
Cook for another 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally till all the liquid is absorbed.
Add the nuts, raisins which we kept aside. Add cardamom powder.
Mix well and switch off the flame.

Doodhi halva is ready to serve.

Serve it hot or at room temperature or cold as you like. You may put it in fridge for cooling and serve chilled.

Tips:

You may fry cashew nuts in ghee if you wish or add them without frying.

You may add more condensed milk or khoa or fresh homemade cream to make it richer.

You may roast khoa separately before adding to the doodhi mixture.

I usually start collecting fresh cream a few days before any festival and store in in the freezer. Then I use it in carrot halwa, beetroot halwa or this doodhi halwa. I also use it to top curries that my family likes, such as palak paneer.

Enjoy