Lauki Halwa (Bottle Gourd Halwa - an Indian Dessert)

Lauki or bottlegourd halwa is a classic Indian dessert which is quick and easy to make.

With just a few ingredients; sugar or jaggery (or even just dates to make it healthier) , bottle gourd and  ghee, decadent and rich halwa/halva is ready. It is the perfect ending to any meal.

Indian Halwa or halva is a dense sweet pudding like dessert made either with suji (semolina), grains, legumes or vegetables like carrots, beets etc. with sugar and lots of ghee and sometimes added milk products.

To add more flavor addition of exotic cardamom powder is a must and of course, studded with golden roasted nuts, it makes for a delicious, soul satisfying dessert.

There are different variations of halwa made in the Middle East, Europe or even in Asia. In India,  lauki halwa is made with bottle gourd, one of the lesser known vegetables from the gourd family.

If you can find ash gourd, a similar halwa can be made with it like this.

Although a much ignored vegetable because of its bland taste, lauki is packed with nutrition.

Lauki juice is considered very good for the stomach, especially if taken first thing in the morning.

After enjoying spicy lauki ka kofta (bottle gourd koftas in spicy, creamy gravy) with laccha methi paratha (layered paratha flavored with dried fenugreek leaves), I had a large piece of bottle gourd leftover and lauki halwa seemed the perfect way to make use of this amazing vegetable to satisfy my occasional sweet tooth.

Traditionally, halwas are made with carrots, beetroots and ash gourd too. Lauki  halwa is another way to enjoy this healthy vegetable; albeit with a few extra calories; but when it is in the form of a dessert, who cares, right?

Most halwa recipes use a bit of milk, but I have chosen to avoid it.

Traditionally, we make a similar halwa with ash gourd, another vegetable from the gourd family, but today, I followed the same method using lauki. I love the bite and texture this vegetable gives to this amazing dessert, unlike ash gourd which is slightly softer in texture.

For a more nutritious halwa, I have substituted regular sugar with jaggery (unrefined form of cane sugar); a sure fire healthier option.

Feel free to add milk or even khoya (dried whole milk) to make a richer halwa.

Ghee/clarified butter and nuts add to the richness and crunch; I have used cashew nuts; you can use almonds or even pistachios.

The only muscle workout you will have is when you manually grate the lauki and if you have a food processor, it becomes much easier.

Rest of the work is done by the stove/pressure cooker; you will only have to keep stirring in between to avoid burning of the halwa at the bottom of the saucepan.

For a vegan option, avoid adding ghee and use oil; although to enjoy the full richness and flavor of the halwa, I would recommend you use ghee.

If jaggery is hard to find, sugar can be easily substituted.

(And if diabetic or prediabetic, then use dates as a good sugar substitute instead; recipe below).

Grate some paneer (Indian cottage cheese) into the simmering halwa for a richer taste.

You can add a bit of condensed milk (reduce sugar accordingly) and it adds a different dimension to the flavor of halwa.

Any which way you make this rich, sweet and decadent Indian dessert, you will love it!

Serve it after dinner/lunch, at a party or just as a mid morning snack.

For a more divine experience, serve warm lauki halwa with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; you will love the warmth of halwa with every spoonful of cold, creamy ice cream!

Store leftovers in the refrigerator, especially in the summers.

This can be made in an Instant pot too. Just pressure cook for 2 minutes on "HIGH", quick pressure release and then continue with the recipe as mentioned in recipe card.

DIABETIC FRIENDLY VERSION USING DATES:

If you are looking out for your glycemic index levels when consuming desserts or just want a low sugar option, then you got to try this DATE SWEETENED LAUKI HALWA!

Instead of jaggery and/or sugar, I decided to puree a cup of dates (soaked in hot water about 10 minutes) and added in the place of sugar/jaggery.

Could not believe that dates could add so much flavor and sweetness to my halwa.

Do try this sometimes too friends. Totally guilt free and super delicious to boot!

For more similar Indian desserts, try: Golden Mango Sheera, Dates and Oats Payasam, Instant Rasmalai etc.

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Lauki Halwa (Bottle Gourd Halwa – an Indian Dessert)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Lauki or bottlegourd halwa is a classic Indian dessert which is quick and easy to make. With just a few ingredients; sugar and/or jaggery or even dates, bottle gourd and ghee, decadent and rich halwa is ready.

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated lauki/bottlegourd
• ½ cup powdered jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) or plain granulated sugar or even 1 cup dates
• ½ teaspoon elaichi powder/cardamom powder
• 6 to 8 cashew nuts
• 4 tablespoons ghee

Instructions

1. Peel and grate lauki and place in a pressure pan.
2. Add about ½ to ¾ cups of water, mix and cook on pressure for about 2 whistles.
3. If using INSTANT POT, pressure cook on seal "HIGH" for 2 minutes and then quick pressure release.
4. Once the pressure drops, open the pan and cook the bottle gourd on medium high until most of the moisture is gone. If you do not have a pressure pan, just cook the gourd in an open pan until all the moisture evaporates.
5. (If using dates to sweeten, then soak 1 cup dates in hot water for 10 minutes and puree to a smooth paste using a little water).
6. Add jaggery and/or sugar or even pureed dates if you prefer and 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well.
7. Cook again on medium high, stirring continuously until the moisture is almost gone; add more ghee if you want a richer halwa.
8. Once most of the moisture is gone and you get a thick mixture with ghee glistening from the edges of the halwa, stir in cardamom powder and give it a good stir. Remove from heat.
9. In a small saucepan, heat rest of the ghee and add cashew nuts; fry until light golden brown. Tip this into the halwa and mix well.
10. Transfer into serving bowls, garnish with additional cashew nuts and serve hot or cold.

Notes

Choose tender bottle gourds to make halwa. I found a few seeds in the lauki I had. They were not so hard that I decided to use them in the halwa to give a different texture to the dessert. If you do not like the seeds, you can remove them while grating.

Adjust the amount of jaggery (or preferred sweetener) according to your taste. If you cannot find jaggery, you can add plain white sugar to sweeten this halwa.

For a richer taste, add khoya or grated paneer to the halwa while it is cooking.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating.

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How to make Lauki or Bottle Gourd Halwa:

• Peel and grate lauki/bottle gourd and place in a pressure pan.
• Add about ½ to ¾ cups of water, mix and cook on pressure for about 2 whistles.
  
• Once the pressure drops, open the pan and cook the bottle gourd on medium high until most of the moisture is gone.
• If you do not have a pressure pan, just cook the gourd in an open pan until all the moisture evaporates.
• Add jaggery or sugar (or date puree if you prefer) and 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well.
• Cook again on medium high, stirring continuously until the moisture is almost gone; add more ghee if you want a richer halwa.
• Once most of the moisture is gone and you get a thick mixture with ghee glistening from the edges of the halwa, stir in cardamom powder and give it a good stir. Remove from heat.
• In a small saucepan, heat rest of the ghee and add cashew nuts; fry until light golden brown. Tip this into the halwa and mix well.
• Transfer into serving bowls, garnish with additional cashew nuts and serve hot or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!!

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