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Lauki ki kheer
Bottle gourd milk pudding
लौकी की खीर: grated bottle gourd simmered in milk for vrat days
Lauki ki kheer is the light pudding many North Indian families make on Mahashivratri, Navratri and Ekadashi, when rice is off the menu: grated bottle gourd stands in for the grain, softens in ghee and then simmers in milk until it turns pale, creamy and almost translucent. It tastes delicate and milky, with cardamom and a crunch of nuts, and is eaten warm after the evening puja or chilled the next day. Taste a sliver of the raw gourd first; a bitter one can make you ill and must be thrown away. Common mistake: adding the sugar too early, which stops the gourd softening and can make the milk split; add it only once the milk has reduced by about a third and the lauki is tender. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated lauki lightly before cooking, but keep the juice and add it to the milk, so none of the flavour is lost.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kheer
- 10 ½ oz bottle gourd (lauki)peeled, seeds removed if large, grated
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
To finish
- 10 cashewschopped
- 10 almondsslivered
- 1 pinch saffron strands (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Taste a tiny raw piece of 10 ½ oz bottle gourd (lauki). If it is bitter, throw the whole gourd away. Squeeze the grated lauki lightly over a bowl, keeping the juice.
Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan over a medium heat, add the lauki and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until it turns soft and its raw smell has gone.
6 minStep 3: Pour in 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk and the lauki juice, bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring and scraping the base often, until reduced by about a third and the gourd looks translucent.
25 minStep 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz sugar, ½ tsp ground green cardamom and 1 pinch saffron strands and simmer for 3 more minutes until the kheer coats the back of a spoon.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lauki ki kheer take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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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Perfect for:Navratri & Durga Puja