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Lauki ka halwa
Bottle gourd halwa
لوکی کا حلوہ (lauki ka halwa): grated bottle gourd slow-cooked in milk and ghee with cardamom
Pale jade-green and soft, with tiny strands of gourd suspended in a creamy, cardamom-scented reduction, lauki ka halwa is what many Pakistani households make in summer, when the vines are heavy and bottle gourd is the cheapest thing in the sabzi mandi. It is lighter than carrot or dal halwa, gently sweet, and tastes of milk and ghee more than vegetable; families in Hyderabad, Karachi and Faisalabad serve it chilled on hot evenings or warm after a meal, and it is a favourite sweet for Ramadan iftar tables. The usual let-down is not squeezing out the gourd's water before cooking, which dilutes the milk and leaves the halwa thin and bland. Chef's tip: use a young, tender lauki with soft seeds, cook the grated gourd in ghee first until it softens, then add the milk, and stop when the halwa is moist and creamy, not dry, as it firms up as it cools.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the halwa
- 2 lb bottle gourd (lauki)peeled, seeds removed if large, grated
- 2 ⅛ oz ghee
- 2 ½ cups full-fat milk
- 4 ½ oz sugar
- 5 green cardamom podsseeds crushed
- 2 ⅛ oz khoya or full-fat milk powder (optional)
- 1 drop green food colour (optional)
To finish
- 2 tbsp almondssliced
- 2 tbsp pistachiossliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Squeeze 2 lb bottle gourd (lauki) firmly in handfuls to remove as much juice as possible.
Step 3: Pour in 2 ½ cups full-fat milk, bring to the boil and simmer over a medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring often and scraping the sides, until most of the milk has evaporated.
25 minStep 4: Add 4 ½ oz sugar and 5 green cardamom pods; the mixture will loosen. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it is thick and the ghee begins to glisten at the edges.
8 minStep 5: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz khoya or full-fat milk powder and 1 drop green food colour, if using, and cook for 2–3 minutes more until creamy.
3 minStep 6: Scatter with 2 tbsp almonds and 2 tbsp pistachios and serve warm, or chill for a few hours and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lauki ka halwa take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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