Name: Lauki Ki Kheer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup Bottle Gourd, lauki/dudhi, peeled, seeds removed, and grated; 1½ cup Whole Milk, boiled; ½ tbsp Ghee, for sautéing; ¼ cup Sugar, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom, freshly ground; ½ tbsp Almonds, chopped; ½ tbsp Cashews, chopped

35 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: None

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Ingredients

1 cupBottle Gourdlauki/dudhi, peeled, seeds removed, and grated
1½ cupWhole Milkboiled
½ tbspGheefor sautéing
¼ cupSugaradjust to taste
¼ tspGround Cardamomfreshly ground
½ tbspAlmondschopped
½ tbspCashewschopped

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Method

Wash, peel and grate the bottle gourd (lauki). Cut away and discard the spongy, seedy core. Squeeze the grated flesh gently to get rid of the excess water.
Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the grated gourd and sauté it over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. This cooks out the raw vegetable taste and stops the gourd from curdling the milk later on.
5–7 min
Observe the gourd; once it exhibits slight shrinkage and turns tender, pour the pre-boiled full-fat milk directly into the pan.
Integrate thoroughly with a spatula and adjust the heat to a moderate, gentle simmer. Allow this to cook for 12-15 minutes, intervening with occasional stirs to guarantee the base remains unscorched.
12–15 min
As the dairy component reduces and amplifies in thickness, the porous gourd strands will fully absorb the rich milk profile. Fold in the sugar alongside the chopped almonds and cashews.
Keep it at a gentle simmer for another 3-4 minutes, long enough for the sugar to dissolve completely into the kheer.
3–4 min
Cease the heat application entirely. Whisk in the finely ground cardamom powder to perfume the dessert.

How to tell it's done

A creamy, lightly thickened pudding featuring soft, transparent strands of gourd.

Getting it right

Tip

Always taste a tiny raw piece of the lauki before cooking. If it tastes bitter, discard the whole vegetable immediately as bitter lauki is toxic.

What to serve it with

Can be served warm, but tastes exceptionally refreshing and creamy when chilled in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

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