Lauki ki Kheer
Lauki ki kheer recipe with step by step photos. This is an easy recipe method to make kheer from bottle gourd, milk and flavoring spices. Lauki is also known as opo squash or dudhi or ghia or doodhi.
Lauki is a cooling veggie to have during the summers. You can make various dishes with lauki from savory to sweet. I had some lauki left after making sambhar recipe, so thought of making kheer with it.
To make lauki kheer, I use the same method through which I make carrot kheer. I have not yet posted the carrot kheer recipe.
The recipe is very simple and even a beginner in cooking can make this kheer. Just make sure to use fresh whole milk. You can use pre boiled milk or pasteurized milk. Another point to be noted is that the Lauki should be tender and should not taste bitter.
This lauki kheer can also be made during fasting days like Navratri or Ekadashi or Shivratri. If you do not use dairy milk, then you can substitute it with almond milk. But just lightly heat the almond milk. Do not heat too much or boil.
You can also use coconut milk, but add thick coconut milk. Once you add the coconut milk, simmer on a low flame for a minute or two. Again here do not heat too much or boil as the coconut milk can curdle.
How to make Lauki ki Kheer
Sauteing lauki
1. Rinse, peel and grate 200 grams lauki (half of a medium sized lauki). You should get 1 cup of grated lauki.
Make sure that the lauki does not have any bitter taste. If the lauki is bitter then don’t use it and trash it.
2. In a thick bottomed pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or a neutral-flavored oil. Add the grated lauki.
3. Stir the lauki well and begin to saute it on a low to medium heat.
4. Stirring often, saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Then add 2.5 cups of whole milk. Using toned milk or low fat milk can curdle.
6. Stir and mix.
7. On a low to medium heat simmer the milk stirring at intervals, so that the milk does not scorch at the bottom of the pan.
8. After 5 to 6 minutes, add a pinch of saffron strands.
9. Continue to simmer the milk till it comes to a gentle boil.
10. Keep on cooking the milk, till it is reduced a bit. Stir often and scrape the milk solids from the sides and add them to the simmering milk. Overall cook the milk for 16 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
11. Once the milk has reduced a bit, add 4 to 5 tablespoons of sugar. Stir and mix very well so that the sugar dissolves.
You can vary the amount of sugar according to your preferences.
12. Then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and 12 to 15 cashews.
13. Simmer the kheer for 2 to 3 minutes more.
14. Lastly switch off the heat and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of rose water.
15. Then add 5 to 6 dried rose petals (crushed). Skip rose petals if you do not have them.
18. Now you can serve lauki kheer hot or warm or chilled. On cooling, the consistency of the kheer will thicken.
The leftover kheer can be refrigerated for about 1 day.
Few more sweet recipes for you!
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or a neutral flavored oil
- 200 grams lauki or 1 cup grated lauki (dudhi or ghia or bottle gourd or opo squash)
- 2.5 cups full fat milk
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 5 tablespoon sugar or add as required
- 5 to 6 dried rose petals, crushed (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
- 12 to 15 cashews
- 1 tablespoon raisins – optional
Instructions
Sauteing lauki
- Rinse, peel and grate 200 grams lauki (half of a medium sized lauki). You should get 1 cup grated lauki.
- In a thick bottomed pan, heat ghee or a neutral flavored oil. Add the lauki.
- Stir the lauki well and begin to saute it on a low to medium heat.
- Stirring often, saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
Making lauki ki kheer
- Then add fresh whole milk and stir.
- On a low to medium heat simmer the milk stirring at intervals, so that the milk does not scorch at the bottom of the pan.
- After 5 to 6 minutes, add a pinch of saffron strands.
- Continue to simmer milk till it comes to a gentle boil.
- Keep on cooking milk, till its reduced a bit. Stir often and scrape the milk solids from the sides and add them to the simmering milk. Overall cook the milk for 16 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Once the milk has reduced a bit, add sugar as per your taste.
- Stir the sugar with the kheer mixture.
- Then add cardamom powder and cashews.
- Simmer the kheer for 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Lastly switch off the heat and add rose water.
- Then add 5 to 6 dried rose petals (crushed). Skip rose petals if you do not have.
- Now you can serve lauki ki kheer hot or warm or chilled. On cooling, the consistency of the lauki kheer will thicken.
Notes
- Kindly ensure that the lauki has a mild neutral taste. It should not taste bitter. Bitter-tasting lauki should be discarded and not used.
- The recipe can be doubled.
- You can add your choice of dry fruits and nuts.
Nutrition
This Lauki Kheer Post from the blog archives, first published in April 2016 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Hi. I am a follower of your recipe’s as they are easy to prepare and especially the direction of cooking with photos are awesome. It really helps a lot. Last night I tried lauki kheer but after adding scraped lauki and boiling it for some time the milk had gone sour(Jab doodh phat jata hai)
I am very disappointed. Can you help as to why this happened
okay. i guess it due to the quality of either milk or lauki. what can be done in this case is that cook till the mixture becomes thick like a halwa type. you can strain some of the excess water. and then continue to cook till you get a halwa like consistency. and then remove in a plate and let it set. then cut in cubes. whenever milk curdles, we add sugar and continue to cook till a thick mixture is obtained. then we just have it as a sweet.
which brand of rose water do you use. None of the brands mention that they are “edilble” .
i buy from a super store here. they sell both kewra and rose water. last time i had purchased rose water from turkey from the same store. that has got over. so now i am using local indian brand – key brand. you can even make rose water at home if you have rose plants. the method to prepare rose water can be searched on google.
Very nice recipe
thanks sonia 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try this for almost a month now.. And today, I finally made the kheer! And wow, it’s amazing. Thank you much Dassana for all your help. It’s almost like you are with me in my kitchen! That’s how good you are at explaining everything that needs to be done.
God bless all the work of your hands! 🙂
welcome lorraine. glad to know that you liked the lauki kheer. thanks for your appreciation and prayers.
I am not really a fan of bottle gourd but this recipe was amazing, thank you for sharing.For all those readers out there, who are hesitating to try this recipe because all you have on hand is 2% milk , just substitute the whole milk for 2%, it worked just fine for me.Thanks again Dassana.
thankyou so much mounica 🙂 and you are always welcome.
Can I use patanjali rose water??
yes you could use any good brand of rose water.
Looks yummy and delicious!!
Made yesterday,with little variation,instead of adding two teaspoon of rose water I added one teaspoon of rose water and one of kewra water and came out just wow…thank you mam, ,plz plz post butter scotch icecream recipe…
thankyou so much shuchi have taken your request for butterscotch icecream on our file.