Lauki Halwa | Sorekayi Halwa | Sorekayi Dumrotu

A simple homemade halwa is very satisfying. Flavours added just from aromatic elaichi/cardamom and smooth creaminess added from milk. Lauki or bottle gourd is like butter and this halwa has an almost melt in the mouth texture. A quick fix sweet when guests are coming over. The best part is, it can be served at room temperature or even a little warm. It is soothing to the gut especially if you have eaten spicy food or feeling acidic. I have not added khoya/khova to this halwa. Dumrotu(special halwa of Karnataka) is generally made using white ashgourd but both vegetables are very similar in texture and their halwa is similar.

Lauki Halwa | Sorekayi Halwa | Sorekayi Dumrotu

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

A simple homemade halwa for the sweet tooth

Author: Vindhya Desai

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

• 200 to 250 Gm or ¾ to 1 Cup grated Lauki/Sorekayi/Bottle Gourd
• 1 Cup whole milk or full fat milk
• 1 Tbsp desi ghee
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 7-8 pounded elaichi or cardamom
• 8-10 broken unsalted/unroasted cashewnuts
• 12-15 raisins

Method

1. Wash, peel, remove seeds and pith from the bottle gourd and grate with a fine grater
2. In a pan, add half the ghee
3. Add grated lauki and start sauteing it on low heat
4. Grated lauki starts releasing juices, when juices start evaporating lauki slightly changes colour
5. Pour in the milk and stir
6. Let it come to a light boil
7. When milk is reduced and volume is almost half, add sugar. Mix well
8. The mixture turns a little watery again. Keep stirring and make sure milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan
9. Add elaichi powder and mix well
10. In another small pan, heat remaining ghee, add cashews and roast them till light golden
11. Add raisins and once they plump up a bit remove cashews and raisins off heat
12. Once halwa has absorbed most of the liquid, pour in the ghee roasted cashews and raisins
13. Serve warm or at room temperature

Notes

Add grated halwa immediately to ghee in the pan, lauki or sorekayi tends to turn brown because of oxidation owing to its high iron content

Adjust sugar according to your taste. I generally add a little less for halwas especially for vegetable based halwas like carrot or lauki so the vegetable flavour also is highlighted

Keep on low flame throughout while making halwa

Add semi-skimmed milk if you want instead of whole milk

Dry roast cashews and raisins to further reduce calories in this recipe. But roasted in ghee gives the best aroma

I like to add more elaichi, reduce to 5-6 if you want

Double or triple this recipe if you want

Do not discard the pith and tender seeds from the halwa. I will soon post a dosa and saasme(raitha) recipe for its use

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 Stepwise:

Wash, peel, remove seeds and pith from the bottle gourd and grate with a fine grater

In a pan, add half the ghee

Add grated lauki and start sautéing it on low heat

Grated lauki starts releasing juices, when juices start evaporating lauki slightly changes colour

Pour in the milk and stir

Let it come to a light boil

When milk is reduced and volume is almost half, add sugar. Mix well

The mixture turns a little watery again. Keep stirring and make sure milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan

Add elaichi powder and mix well
 

In another small pan, heat remaining ghee, add cashews and roast them till light golden

Add raisins and once they plump up a bit remove cashews and raisins off heat 
 

Once halwa has absorbed most of the liquid, pour in the ghee roasted cashews and raisins
  

Serve warm or at room temperature