By Aditi Saraswat
May 4, 2026
Lauki ka halwa transforms simple bottle gourd into a rich, comforting dessert that is soft, aromatic, and lightly sweet. It is perfect when you want to have a homemade dessert without too much effort, and also want to change the everyday lauki into something enjoyable.
2 cups grated lauki (bottle gourd) 1 cup full-fat milk 3–4 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp ghee 2 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, cashews) 4–5 cardamom pods (crushed) 1 tbsp khoya (optional)
Peel and grate the fresh lauki, then squeeze it lightly to remove the excess water.
In a pan, heat ghee and add the grated lauki to it. Sauté it on a medium flame until the raw smell fades away and the mixture appears a bit glossy and also fragrant.
To the mixture, pour in the milk and cook on a low flame while stirring in between.
Now, add sugar and crushed cardamom to the pan once the milk has reduced. Stir it well as the mixture will loosen a bit, then cook again till it gets a thick, halwa-like consistency.
Add in khoya for the extra richness and some chopped nuts. Keep stirring it so that everything mixes well and the halwa turns a bit creamy and aromatic.
Cook until the halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan and appears glossy, and serve it warm.