By Aditi Saraswat
December 16, 2025
Lauki halwa is prepared from grated bottle gourd that is turned into a rich, slow-cooked dessert, prepared from ghee, milk, and khoya. Its mild taste feels like a festive sweet that is comforting, pure, nostalgic, and extremely indulgent.
3 cups grated lauki (bottle gourd), squeezed lightly 2 tbsp ghee 2 cups full-cream milk ½ cup sugar ¼ cup khoya (mawa), crumbled ¼ tsp cardamom powder 10–12 chopped cashews 10–12 raisins
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat some ghee and add the grated lauki. Sauté it on medium flame until the moisture evaporates and the raw smell disappears.
In the same pan, pour the full-cream milk and cook slowly, stirring constantly, so that the lauki turns soft and absorbs the milk.
Keep cooking it until the mixture thickens and appears creamy, and the milk gets fully absorbed.
To this, add sugar and mix it well. Cook it until it reaches a thick consistency and begins to pull away from the sides.
Add in the crumbled khoya and cardamom powder and cook gently until the halwa turns creamy, glossy, and fragrant.
Add some cashews and raisins to this, mix well, and cook for one last minute. Serve warm or chilled for a comforting dessert bowl.