Navratri Recipe- Prepare Lauki Ka Halwa For Bhog

A rich and creamy indian dessert recipe prepared from grated bottle gourd, full cream milk and sugar. The uniqueness of this traditional indian sweet recipe lies within the individual grated bottle gourd slices which gets crunchy and caramelized with sugar.

Bottle gourd recipes are very common during the festival seasons and is heavily prepared during navaratri fasting or for during any vrat season. Loki ka halwa is one such common dessert recipe prepared with 2 purpose. Obliviously it is a classic desert for any festival, but also high in nutrition and fibre and hence ideal for fasting.

Ingredients

600 grams lauki / bottle gourd / doodhi / ghiya
¼ cup ghee / clarified butter
5 cashew / kaju, halved
5 badam / almond, chopped
2 tbsp raisins / kishmish
½ cup milk
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp ghee / clarified butter
¼ cup milk
½ cup milk powder, full cream
¼ tsp cardamom powder

Method

* Heat ¼ cup ghee and roast 5 cashew, 5 badam and 2 tbsp raisins.

* Roast the nuts to golden brown and keep aside.

* Now add in grated lauki and saute for 5 minutes.

* Saute till the lauki shrinks slightly and changes colour.

* Add in ½ cup milk and mix well.

* Cook for 10 minutes or till milk thickens and lauki gets cooked completely.

* Further add in ¾ cup sugar and mix well.

* Sugar melts and boil for 5 minutes or till it thickens.

* Add in khoya into lauki mixture and mix well.

* Keep stirring till the mixture thickens and forms a mass.

* Add in roasted nuts and ¼ tsp cardamom powder. mix well.

* Finally, transfer dudhi halwa / lauki halwa to a bowl and serve hot or chilled.