BOTTLE GOURD DOODHI HALWA

 

Doodhi halwa or lauki ka halwa is rather an unusual dessert. A very nutritious dish as it contains lauki or bottle gourd, milk and dry fruits. Doodhi ka halwa is a very simple recipe yet very delicious and lip smacking. Doodhi known as bottle gourd, bottle squash, calabash gourd is a delicious vegetable with abundance of nutritive and health properties.

It’s has a smooth delicate nutty flavor that adds an enriched taste to hot curries as well as cooling yoghurt dishes like raita. Bottle gourd or lauki is one of the common vegetables used in southern India where they are used in preparing combined with lentils (especially the channa dal) and also used in preparing the famous Pappu charu (spicy dal in Andhra state).

In the northern states of India, lauki is used for preparing the delicious kofta curry. Lauki is a versatile vegetable very comforting and refreshing. Bottle gourd, one of the wonderful vegetable with numerous health benefits is like the unsung heroes in the vegetable family when most of the people labeled it a poor man’s vegetable. Over the last few years many Ayurvedic and nature cure practitioners have been talking a lot about this beautiful vegetable and its nutritive values.

Bottle gourd is rich in vitamins and especially in minerals which the body requires during the hotter months of the year. Cooked lauki is cooling, calming and acts as diuretic. It makes you relax after eating. Bottle gourd is not only rich in essential minerals, iron, protein and trace elements; it is also rich in fibre.

Fibre is known to be missing in the modern diet, the absence of which is the cause of not only constipation but other digestive disorders like flatulence and even piles. Bottle gourd is a very good low calorie vegetable and you can prepare easy low cal dishes with this.

Even if you don’t like the bottle gourd in any other form, you have to agree that the Doodhi ka halwa tastes very luscious. If you have never had it, you should try it. Normally at restaurants they use khoya to give a nice creamy texture and richness to the halwa. The lauki ka halwa can also be prepared with low fat milk or condensed milk or ghee.

This enriches its taste and should love especially when it is eaten warm. Few also serve it warm with some Vanilla or Pistachio ice cream. To prepare this lip smacking Doodhi halwa, firstly peel and grate the bottle gourd. Take a pan and ghee, cashew nuts, almonds and raisins, mix it well and fry till they change the color and then add the grated bottle gourd and mix well.

Let it cook for about 5 to 10 mins in a slow flame and keep stirring it continuously. Add milk and mix. If you wish to add color and you can add a little green color and keep mixing. Now add sugar to the bottle gourd mixture and then add khoya and stir continuously for another 5 mins till the halwa is ready. It belongs to the gourd family- Cucurbitaceae and is a running or climbing vine.

The fruit is harvested young and used as a vegetable. It has a light green smooth skin and a white inner flesh. Usually the round fruits are called Calabash gourd and the slender long fruits are called Bottle gourds. For preparing the Lauki ka halwa always use a smooth tender skin, pale green color free from any buts, spots and blemishes bottle gourd that should be firm to handle.

Bottle gourd doesn’t take long cooking time and is easy to cook. The bottle gourds have been cultivated since time immemorial and they are, probably one of the earliest vegetables cultivated by man. It appears to have originated in Africa where it occurs spontaneously as it also does in India.

It is now widely cultivated throughout the tropics, especially India. Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, tropical Africa and South America. The bottle gourd is a warm season crop and grows best. in a warm humid climate. Undoubtedly we all hate when our mom force us to have bottle gourd (lauki/ghiya) in our platter.

But did you know that they are one of the favorite vegetables in Indian cuisine and has numerous health benefits. Though, this vegetable is disliked by the children and young people, old people consume it for its benefits in maintaining the good body and good health. Hence make it as part of your meal and also enjoy the taste of Doodhi ka halwa along with your family and friends at:

 

bottle gourd Doodhi Halva

Author : sreya85...

Preparation Time: 7 min

Cooking Time : 25 min

Yield : 4 (4 servings)

Published On : Apr 26, 2009

Recipe Type : Desserts/Sweets

Standing Time : 5-8 mins

Ingredient : Bottlegaurd

Description : Bottle Gourd Doodhi Halva Recipe made easy, learn how to make bottle gourd Doodhi Halva Recipes at home.

Recipe of bottle gourd Doodhi Halva

 

 

Ingredient Name	Unit	Quantity
Almonds (sliced)	piece	6
Cardamoms (powdered)	piece	2
cashewnuts	number	5
Ghee	tsp	3
koya	cup	1
Milk	ml	500
raisins	piece	10
seedless white gourd	grams	500
Sugar	cup	1

Directions | How to make Bottle Gourd Doodhi Halva

Peel and grate bottle gourd. Take a pan add Ghee,cashewnuts,almonds,raisins,mix it well tll they change the colour, then add grated bottle gourd and mix it. Let it cook for 5 to 10 min in slow flame and keep mixing it. Then add Milk stir it,if you want to add colour to it you can add green colour and keep mixing. Now add sugar to it and mix then add Koya to it,keep mixing for 5 min your halwa is ready.