The three types of milk coupled with ghee give this halwa a rich, creamy texture and flavor, much like what you get from adding khoya/mava.

I had never eaten Ghiya/Lauki in dessert form till a few years back. I experimented with it first time last year when my friends, Nand and Sunil, both avid gardeners, had such a bounty in their backyards and were generous enough to share a few every few weeks. So what do you do when you have eaten it in every possible form, you pull out your recipe book and experiment!

The recipe was given by my friend Madhavi’s moms almost 20 years back in Orlando. She had made amazing Gajar/carrot halwa and told me to use the same recipe for Ghiya/lauki. I had of course made Gajar Halwa a few times before using her recipe but never tried ghiya/lauki halwa. Thank you Sudha aunty for the lovely recipe!

I absolutely loved the mild flavor. Its actually quite a light dessert as compared to other Indian desserts that require a lot of frying or ghee and how can you beat the fact that you are eating a vegetable for dessert!

Ghiya/Lauki/Dudhi Halwa-Indian Dessert made of Bottlegourd

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups Lauki/Ghiya grated and squeezed
2 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp Cardamom/elaichi powder
1 1/2 cups milk I used 2%, you can use whole, 1% or skim
1/2 cup Milk Powder I used Nido brand
1/4 cup Condensed milk

Instructions

In heavy bottom pan,heat ghee and add cardamom/elaichi powder to it.
Add the squeezed Ghiya/Lauki and cook till the water dries up.
Add 1 1/2 cups milk and cook lauki/ghiya till the milk dries and lauki has cooked.
Add Milk powder and continue to stir and cook till.
When it starts coming together and leaving sides, add the condensed milk.
Cook for just a few minutes till thick and it all comes together.