Lauki halwa is an Indian dessert made with lauki or bottle gourd. This is a delicious dessert. It's also known as lauki launj.
Lauki Launj | Lauki Halwa | Dudhi Halwa
Lauki halwa or dudhi halwa is an Indian dessert. This is also a falahar food. For Janmashtami vrat, we make this lauki ki launj at home. This took me 30 minutes. You can add additional khoya to the halwa.
Always use full-fat milk while you are reducing this to make khoya. I would say a complete "NO" to use cow milk for this because it yields a slightly salty taste with cow milk. So, use full-fat milk (buffalo milk).
In India, many of us observe fasting on some religious occasions. Very few foods are allowed on vrat or fasting days. And lauki or bottle gourd is one of them. You can make lauki and aloo curry with vrat poori or sama rice khichdi. Or you can add them while making samvat khichdi.
Read my fasting recipe collection here.
You can use milk or khoya or milk powder to make this dish. In this recipe, I have reduced milk to make instant khoya. Then add dry fruits of your choice (almonds, cashews, pista, raisins)
How to Make Lauki Halwa / Lauki Launj?
Wash and peel the skin of the lauki or bottle gourd. Then, grate it with a grater. If you have grated it before, soak it in water, as it will discolor and turn brownish.
Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add chopped dry fruits and saute for a minute. Then, remove the dry fruits from the pan and keep them aside. In the same pan, add freshly grated lauki. Saute on high flame for 3 - 4 minutes. Add milk to the same pot/ pan. Then, cover with a lid and simmer on a medium flame for 7 - 8 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Simmer till the milk is reduced completely and turned to khoya. You can also add store-bought khoya to the halwa.
Now add sugar and cardamom powder. The sugar will melt. Simmer until it's dry, and then add the fried dry fruits.
Lauki halwa is ready to serve. Refrigerate and chill for better taste. Garnish with some more chopped dry fruits and serve.
Recipe Card For Lauki Halwa
Lauki Halwa/ Lauki Launj
Equipment
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Box cheese grater
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 tbsp Ghee/ Purified butter
- 1 Lauki/ bottle gourd (800gm - 1kg)
- ยฝ cup Sugar or as per taste
- 1 ltr Milk (full fat)
- ยฝ tsp Cardamom powder
- 2 - 3 tbsp Dry fruits chopped
- ยผ cup Khoya optional
Instructions
- Peel skin of lauki and wash thoroughly.
- Grate lauki with help of a grater. No need to soak in water as we ll use fresh grated ones.
- Squeeze out excess water from lauki before frying.
- Heat ghee in a pan. Add chopped dry fruits and saute for 30 - 40 seconds.
- Remove from ghee and keep aside for further use.
- In the same ghee add grated lauki (squeezed).
- Saute on high flame for 3 - 5 minutes stirring in between.
- Cook for another 5 - 7 minutes on low flame. Keep stirring occasionally.
- Then, add milk to the pan.ย ย
- Simmer till milk is completely reduced and forms khoya like structure.
- Now add sugar, cardamom, and dry fruits.
- Sugar will melt. Simmer on high flame stirring continuously to avoid sticking at bottom.
- Once lauki is complwtely cooked and separates ghee from pan, turn off heat.
- Halwa is ready. Let it come down to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 or 2 hrs.
- Garnish with dry fruits and serve chilled lauki halwa.
Notes
- half milk + khoya
- 1 cup milk powder (for instant halwa)
Nutrition
PIN IT FOR LATER
If you like my recipes and want to stay updated then subscribe via email to my blog. Also stay connected on social media. Here I would request you to like and share my face book page @mydaintykitchen, Follow me on twitter @mydaintykitchen & instagram @mydaintykitchen.
Leave a Comment (And a 5 Star Rating)