Lauki halwa, also called dudhi halwa or bottle gourd halwa is a rich, creamy North Indian dessert made by slow-cooking grated bottle gourd in milk with sugar, ghee, and warm cardamom and saffron. It's a classic vrat (fasting) sweet for Navratri and Ekadashi, but it comes together easily enough for any weeknight, in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
I have such fond memories of this halwa, my brother and I used to help my mom grate the lauki, which was always the slowest part. She pressure-cooked the rest, so it never felt like a "special occasion only" dessert in our house; we made it just because we loved it.
If you like vegetable-based Indian halwas, my Carrot Halwa and Basundi are two more you'll want to bookmark.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- What is Lauki
- Is Lauki Halwa Healthy?
- How to Pick a Perfect Lauki
- How to Prep Lauki for Halwa
- Ingredient
- Expert Tips for Perfect Lauki Halwa
- How to Store Lauki Halwa
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Indian Desserts
- Lauki Halwa Recipe (Dudhi Halwa) - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Just 10 everyday ingredients - no hunting down khoya/mawa, almond flour does the job.
- Instant Pot method cuts your hands-on stirring time down significantly versus the stovetop.
- Naturally gluten-free, and easy to adapt vegan, nut-free, or sugar-free (see FAQ below).
- A traditional vrat (fasting) sweet for Navratri and Ekadashi, but simple enough for any day.
What is Lauki
Lauki, also known as doodhi, dudhi, ghiya, opo squash, calabash, or bottle gourd is one of the most versatile vegetables in Indian cooking, and about 92% water, which keeps it light and hydrating.
It's a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium, and is often credited with supporting a healthy heart and helping lower bad cholesterol. Lauki juice in particular is popular with diabetic patients, since it's believed to help stabilize blood sugar and support healthy blood pressure.
Love lauki? Check out this full collection of Indian Lauki Recipes for more ways to use it.
Is Lauki Halwa Healthy?
Bottle gourd itself is low in calories and high in water, fiber, and minerals, one of the lighter vegetables you can cook with. That said, lauki halwa is still a traditional Indian sweet made with milk, condensed milk, and ghee, so it's best enjoyed as a treat rather than a health food.
If you want a lighter version, you can reduce the condensed milk, use a sugar substitute (see the FAQ below), or lean on the nutrient benefits of the vegetable itself while keeping portions modest.
How to Pick a Perfect Lauki
Lauki, or bottle gourd, is easy to find at most Indian and Asian grocery stores. Choose a young, firm lauki for the best texture, the skin should be light green and the flesh inside white. Lauki comes in a range of sizes and thicknesses, so any firm one will work well here.
How to Prep Lauki for Halwa
Peel the skin and trim off both ends. Scoop out and discard any large seeds or any white flesh that feels soft or soggy, fresh lauki usually has fewer seeds and firmer flesh.
Grate the lauki to a medium thickness: too thin and the halwa turns mushy, too thick and you'll end up with bigger, unevenly cooked chunks. A hand grater or a food processor's grating disc both work.
Note: Don't let grated lauki sit around too long before cooking, it loses moisture and starts to turn watery and discolored fairly quickly.
Ingredient
- Lauki (bottle gourd): the base of the halwa, grated fresh, not frozen, for the best texture.
- Ghee: for sautéing the lauki; adds the classic toasty flavor halwa is known for.
- Milk: full-fat milk gives the richest result; the halwa reduces and thickens as it cooks.
- Saffron + cardamom powder: the traditional aromatics, bloom the saffron in warm milk first for the best color and flavor.
- Condensed milk: sweetens and enriches the halwa; adjust the amount to taste.
- Milk powder + heavy cream: stand in for khoya/mawa, giving that rich, grainy texture without needing fresh khoya.
- Almond flour: optional, but adds body and richness; swap in crushed almonds or leave it out for a nut-free version.
- Silvered almonds: for garnish, pistachios or cashews work well too.
Expert Tips for Perfect Lauki Halwa
- Taste your lauki before cooking, occasionally a bottle gourd can be bitter, and no amount of sugar will fix that.
- Grate to a medium thickness (see prep notes above) for the best texture, not too fine, not too chunky.
- Use a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop, and stir occasionally, to keep the halwa from catching at the bottom.
- Cook off all the visible moisture before you stop, an undercooked halwa will taste watery and won't hold together well.
- Adjust condensed milk/sweetener gradually and taste as you go, lauki varies in natural sweetness.
How to Store Lauki Halwa
Lauki halwa keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week. It also freezes beautifully for up to a month, thaw and warm it gently before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Lauki halwa can be served warm or cold, and it's delicious either way. Some prefer it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy this North Indian delicacy with your loved ones!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, lauki, dudhi, doodhi, and ghiya are all regional Hindi/Gujarati names for the same vegetable (bottle gourd), so "lauki halwa" and "dudhi halwa" refer to the same dessert.
Use vegan butter or coconut oil in place of ghee. Substitute a nut milk, like almond or coconut milk, for the full-fat milk and heavy cream. Use a non-dairy milk powder in place of full-fat dry milk powder.
Skip the almond flour and garnish with pumpkin seeds instead of almonds. The halwa will still turn out rich and delicious.
Swap the condensed milk for your preferred sugar-free sweetener, adjusting the amount to taste.
Almond flour stands in for khoya/mawa, which isn't always easy to find fresh. Crushed almonds work as a substitute, or you can leave it out entirely for a nut-free halwa.
Fresh is best for texture, but if you only have frozen grated lauki, thaw and squeeze out the excess water before cooking, otherwise the halwa will take longer to thicken and can turn out watery.
This usually means the moisture wasn't fully cooked off, or the lauki itself released more water than expected. Keep sautéing on high until you no longer see liquid pooling at the bottom of the pot.
Both! It's delicious warm, at room temperature, or chilled, some people especially enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
More Indian Desserts
- Gur Ka Halwa Recipe | Sooji Halwa with Jaggery
- Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe (Instant Pot Carrot Halwa)
- Sooji Halwa (Three-Ingredient)
- Sweet Potato Halwa (Shakarkandi Halwa)
Lauki Halwa Recipe (Dudhi Halwa) - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups firmly packed medium grated lauki bottle gourd
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 cup full fat milk
- 2 tablespoon warm full fat milk
- 15-20 saffron strands
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ - ¾ can (14 oz) condensed milk or to taste
- 1 cup full fat milk powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup almond flour
For garnish:
- 10 - 12 silvered almonds add more if desired
Instructions
How to make Lauki Halwa in Instant Pot
- Soak saffron strands in 2 tablespoon of warm milk, keep it aside.
- Turn on Instant Pot to saute mode (high).
- When it displays "HOT", add 1 tablespoon of ghee, grated lauki.
- Saute for 3-5 min, sauteing occasionally. Add cup of milk. Mix well. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Turn on Manual/Pressure cook mode (high), 5 mins, vent sealed. When Instant Pot beeps, quickly release pressure. Open the IP lid.
- Turn on saute mode (high), add cream, milk powder, condensed milk, saffron soaked in milk, cardamom powder, almond flour. Mix well.
- Saute on high until all the moisture is evaporated, around 5-7 mins.
- Switch off Instant Pot.
- Lauki Ka Halwa is ready to be served. Garnish with some silvered almonds. Enjoy!!
For Stovetop Dudhi Halwa
- Add milk, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce, and cook until all the moisture has evaporated, around 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking to the bottom. The rest of the steps remain the same as Instant Pot. Note: Use a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot for cooking halwa on a stovetop. Helps prevent the sticking of halwa at the bottom.
Notes
- Grate the lauki to a medium thickness, if grated too thin the halwa will turn mushy and if grated too thick halwa will have big pieces.
- Adjust the sweetness as per taste.
- Almond flour is optional, you can substitute crushed almonds instead or make it nut-free. Nuts of choice such as cashews, raisins may also be added.
- Halwa stays good for a week in a refrigerator and upto a month in a freezer.
- Cardamom powder and saffron gives lauki ka halwa a nice aroma.
- Instead of condensed milk, you can also use sugar, condensed milk gives halwa a nice rich taste. You may also substitute khoya to enhance the flavor.
- Few drops of green food color may be added to get the green color halwa.
- For Vegan / dairy free options please refer to - How to make Lauki Ka Halwa vegan/dairy-free? discussed earlier in the post.
- For nut-free options please refer to - How to make Lauki Ka Halwa nut-free? discussed earlier in the post.
- For refined sugar-free options please refer to - How to make Lauki Ka Halwa sugar-free? discussed earlier in the post.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Priya K says
This turned out so much better than I expected! I was worried the lauki flavor would be too strong but it just tastes rich and creamy. Used the Instant Pot method and it was done so fast.
Jyoti Behrani says
So glad to hear that, Priya! The Instant Pot really does make this one weeknight-friendly. Thanks for trying it!
Anjali S says
Made this for Navratri and it was a huge hit with my family. I skipped the almond flour for a nut-free version and it still turned out great.
Jyoti Behrani says
That's wonderful, Anjali! Happy it worked well nut-free too, thank you for sharing that for other readers.
Arjun P says
can I make this ahead of time for a dinner party? How far in advance?
Jyoti Behrani says
Yes, absolutely! You can make it up to 3-4 days ahead and keep it refrigerated, just warm it gently (or serve chilled) before your dinner party.