Dudhi Halwa, also known as Lauki Halwa, is a delicious and creamy Indian dessert made with bottle gourd, sugar, and milk. It is flavored with cardamom powder and garnished with roasted dry fruits for added crunch and flavor.
In this recipe, I use a pressure cooker to cook the dudhi quickly, making the process easier and faster. The best part is that this recipe does not require khoya or mawa. Instead, I add fresh malai, which gives the halwa a rich, creamy, and smooth texture similar to sweet-shop-style halwa.
Cooking dudhi with milk and malai makes the halwa wonderfully creamy and flavorful. It is a classic Indian dessert that is perfect for festivals, special occasions, or fasting days. Do try this!
The Key to Making Tasty Dudhi Halwa in a Pressure Cooker at Home
- Firstly, grate the dudhi properly: Always use a grater with large holes to grate the dudhi (lauki). Avoid using a small-holed grater, as it can make the dudhi release more water and may cause it to darken due to oxidation. Large-hole grating also gives the halwa a better texture.
- Add fresh malai for a rich and creamy texture: I like to add fresh malai (cream) to the halwa, which makes it rich, creamy, and more like sweet-shop-style dudhi halwa. However, do not add too much malai, as excess cream can cause the halwa to release more ghee while cooking. If you don’t have malai, you can use mawa (khoya) or milk powder as an alternative.
- Use ghee for the best flavor: Dudhi halwa tastes especially delicious when cooked with ghee. Once the halwa is cooked and reaches the desired consistency, add a little ghee along with roasted dry fruits. This enhances the aroma and gives the halwa a rich, glossy finish.
- Serve it hot: For the best taste and texture, serve dudhi halwa warm or hot. Garnish it with chopped nuts such as almonds, pistachios, or cashews for added crunch and flavor.
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Recipe video
Dudhi halwa in cooker | lauki halwa in cooker | doodhi halwa
Ingredients
- 500 grm grated dudhi
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 4 tbsp water
- 1.5 cup milk
- ½ cup malai
- ¾ cup sugar
- Pinch of green food colour
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 2 tbsp almond
- 2 tbsp kismis
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
- Take 2 medium-sized dudhi (bottle gourd) and peel the skin.
- Then grate the dudhi using a large-hole grater. You should have approximately 500 grams or 3 cups of grated dudhi.
- Now, in a pressure cooker, add 2 tbsp ghee and sauté the grated dudhi for 2–3 minutes.
- Then add ¼ cup water and mix well. Cover the cooker with the lid and pressure cook the dudhi on high flame for 2 whistles. The dudhi should be properly cooked.
- Meanwhile, in a pan, add 1½ cups milk and bring it to a slight boil.
- Add the milk to the cooked dudhi and cook the mixture until the milk is absorbed and the dudhi becomes completely soft and well-cooked.
- Now add ½ cup malai (fresh cream) and mix well. This gives the halwa a rich and creamy texture.
- Then add ¾ cup sugar and mix well. Cook until the sugar dissolves completely and the halwa reaches the desired consistency.
- For the garnish, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan. Add 2 tbsp cashews, 2 tbsp almonds, and 2 tbsp raisins (kismis). Sauté until lightly golden, then add them to the halwa.
- Finally, add ½ tsp cardamom powder and mix everything well.
- Dudhi halwa is ready. Serve it hot or let it cool and store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh for up to 1 week when refrigerated.
Notes
- Grate the dudhi using a large-hole grater.
- Avoid using a small-hole grater, as it releases more water and can cause the dudhi to turn black due to oxidation.
- Sauté the grated dudhi in ghee over medium heat to enhance its flavor.
- Add very little water when pressure-cooking the dudhi.
- Cook on high flame for 2 whistles.
- Cooking the dudhi with milk makes it softer and enhances its flavor.
- Do not add too much malai to the halwa.
- You can use mawa instead of malai.
- Store dudhi halwa into air-tight container, it stay good for 8-10 days into refrigerator.