Lauki ka halwa recipe - Gardudde halwa - Dudhi halwa

Lauki ka halwa recipe - Lauki ka halwa is a very popular  Indian sweet dish prepared with bottle gourd, ghee, sugar and flavored with cardamoms.  Bottle gourd is not liked by many, but I am sure this dish will be liked by everyone. 

Lauki is also known as  white gourd, bottle gourd, dudhi, ghiya, sorekayi and gardudde. It is a light vegetable with mild flavour. Fresh bottle gourds are easily available in  Indian markets throughout the year. 

I make this halwa often. Its a hassle-free sweet dish which can be made in a jiffy with few ingredients. Though this is a sweet dish its healthy one and to make it more healthier and to keep the nutrition intact, I cooked the grated bottle gourd in pressure cooker and then sauted with ghee.

Lauki ka Halwa Recipe - Dudhi Halwa

Prep time : 10 mins
Cook time : 25 mins
Total time : 45 mins
Recipe type : Dessert-Halwa
Cuisine : Indian
Yield : Serves 4
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated bottle gourd / sorekayi / Doodhi / lauki
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Wash the bottle gourd and pat to dry with a kitchen towel.
2. Peel and grate the white gourd/ lauki. Immediately transfer the grated lauki to the cooker container.
3. Cover this container with lid. Put some water in the pressure cooker. Place the cooker plate.
4. Then place the container with grated lauki inside the cooker. Do not add water in the lauki. 
5. Take 3-4 whistles and remove the cooker from flame. Keep it aside and allow to release the pressure. When pressure goes, remove the boiled lauki.
6. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan on a medium low flame. Add boiled lauki to it. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes or till it boils.
7. Now, add sugar and  mix well. Stir till the sugar melts  into lauki. Now cook it on a medium low flame till the mixture  becomes slightly dry.
8. At this stage pour the remaining 1 tbsp ghee all over the mixture and mix well. Stir constantly till the lauki mixture turns dry and become lump.
9. At this stage remove the halwa from the flame. Allow it to cool. Mix cardamom powder and keep it in the fridge.
10. Serve lauki halwa as a dessert.

Lauki ka Halwa Recipe


1.  Wash the bottle gourd and pat to dry with a kitchen towel.

2.  Peel and grate the white gourd/ lauki. Immediately transfer the grated lauki to the cooker container. 

3.  Cover this container with lid. Put some water in the pressure cooker. Place the cooker plate. 

4.  Then place the container with grated lauki inside the cooker. Do not add water in the lauki.  

5.  Take 3-4 whistles and remove the cooker from flame. Keep it aside and allow to release the pressure. When pressure goes, remove the boiled lauki.

6.  Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan on a medium low flame. Add boiled lauki to it. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes or till it boils. 

7.  Now, add sugar and  mix well. Stir till the sugar melts  into lauki. Now cook it on a medium low flame till the mixture  becomes slightly dry.

8.  At this stage pour the remaining 1 tbsp ghee all over the mixture and mix well. Stir constantly till the lauki mixture turns dry and become lump. 

9.  At this stage remove the halwa from the flame. Allow it to cool. Mix cardamom powder and keep it in the fridge. 

10. Serve lauki halwa as a dessert.

Rava banana kesari recipe - Rava baale hannina sheera - Sheera recipe

Rava banana sheera or kesari recipe - Today it is Ghatasthapna. On this auspicious day I would like to post a very delicious sweet dish recipe which is commonly made in all parts of India. Rava banana sheera is a very essential naivedya dish prepared during  Satyanarayana Pooja and Durga Pooja. It is also called Mahaprasaad. If it is for naivedya, ghee, sugar and rava is used in equal quantity.

But keeping health point in mind, I have used less ghee in this recipe and added milk to increase the taste. However, you can increase the ghee quantity in this dish.  I have also used less sugar as the banana adds an extra sweet to the sheera.  I also make pineapple rava  sheera, and I'll post that too in due course. Whenever I buy banana, I reserve a banana to make this kesari.

Rava Banana Kesari Recipe - Banana Sheera Recipe

Prep time : 10 mins
Cook time : 15 mins
Total time : 25 mins
Recipe type : Sweets-Naivedya
Cuisine : Indian
Yield : Serves 2
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients

• 1 cup rava / semolina, thick variety
• 1 banana, peeled, chopped
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 cardamoms, powdered
• 2 tbsp ghee

Method

1. Pour the ghee in a pan and keep it on low flame.
2. When the ghee melts, add the rava and fry it till light golden colour.  Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, pour the milk and add sugar. Stir well to combine.
4. Bring the milk to boil on high flame. Once it boils, reduce the flame.
5. Add the rava and chopped banana. Stir continuously and mix well. 
6. Cook covered on low flame for 5 minutes. Further remove the lid and give a nice stir for 2 minutes. 
7. Remove from the flame and add cardamom powder.
8. Serve rava banana kesari along with upma or any other savoury snacks.

Rava banana kesari - step by step pictures

1.  Pour the ghee in a pan and keep it on low flame.

2.  When the ghee melts, add the rava and fry it till light golden colour.  Remove and set aside.

3.  In the same pan, pour the milk and add sugar. Stir well to combine.

4.  Bring the milk to boil on high flame. Once it boils, reduce the flame.

5.  Add the rava and chopped banana. Stir continuously and mix well. Cook covered on low flame for 5 minutes. Further remove the lid and give a nice stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add cardamom powder.

6.  Serve rava banana kesari along with upma or any other savoury snacks.

Raagi manni recipe - Finger millet halwa - Nanchane manni

Wishing you all  A Very  Happy and Prosperous Shri Krishna Janmashtami. 

Raagi manni or nanachane manni recipe - Raagi manni or nanachane manni is a delicious soft sweet prepared with finger millet flour, jaggery and coconut milk. Raagi manni is a traditional konkan cuisine prepared during Jnmashtami and offered as naivedya to Lord Krishna. 

Traditionally, finger millet is soaked for eight to ten hours and grind to paste. Then strain it in a large vessel through a muslin cloth and the finger millet paste subsides when the water becomes calm. At this stage water is carefully drained and the paste is used to make raagi manni. But I don't follow this lengthy process. 

I use finger millet flour to make the raagi manni. Friends, try out this delicious raagi manni to treat your family and friends. Finger millest are rich sources of calcium and it has cooling effect on body. Therefore finger millet must be included in the diet.

Raagi Manni Recipe - Finger Millet Halwa Recipe

Prep time : 10 mins
Cook time : 10 mins
Total time : 20 mins
Recipe type : Naivedya-Sweet
Cuisine : Karnataka
Yield : Serves 2
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup finger millet flour / nanchane - raagi hittu
• 3/4 cup jaggery
• 2 cardamoms, powdered
• 2 tsp ghee (optional)
• 2 cups water

Method

1. Take 2 cups of cold water in a large bowl.  Add 3/4 cup of jaggery to it. Dissolve the jaggery in water, stirring with a spoon.
2. Add a cup of finger millet flour and coconut milk to it. Mix well.
3. Transfer this flour mixture to a heavy bottomed vessel and keep it on a medium flame.  Cook stirring continuously  till the flour mixture becomes thick and leave the edges. 
4. Chances of forming lumps is possible. To avoid it stir continuously. Before removing from the flame, add 2 tsp of ghee and cardamom powder to it. Mix well.
5. Grease a plate with little bit of ghee and transfer the mixture to the  plate. 
6. Keep the plate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or till the manni becomes firm. 
7. Cut the ragi manni into square shape and offer God as naivedya and serve as prasad.

Raagi manni  - step by step pictures

1.  Take 2 cups of cold water in a large bowl.  Add 3/4 cup of jaggery to it. Dissolve the jaggery in the water, stirring with a spoon.

2.  Add a cup of finger millet flour and coconut milk to it. Mix well. 

3.  Transfer this flour mixture to a heavy bottomed vessel and keep it on a medium flame. 

4.  Cook stirring continuously  till the flour mixture becomes thick and leave the edges. 

5.  Before removing it  from the flame, add 2 tsp of ghee and cardamom powder to it. Mix well.

6.  Grease a plate with little bit of ghee and transfer the mixture to the  plate. Keep the plate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or till the manni becomes firm. 

7.  Cut the ragi manni or nanchane manni into square shape, offer God as naivedya and serve as prasad.

Gajar halwa recipe - How to make carrot halwa

Gajar halwa recipe - Carrot halwa is a very popular traditional Indian dessert made with carrots, milk, ghee and sugar. This is another easy carrot recipe that can be prepared quickly. Saute the carrots in ghee, then add the milk and sugar and simmer till the mixture becomes thick. The addition of proper amount of sugar takes this halwa to the next level. The cardamom powder adds an extra flavor to this dessert. 

This halwa is very delicious with a soft texture to melt in the mouth. This is my family favourite and when carrots are in season, I make it to serve as a dessert. When it comes to making halwa, I always prefer to use Delhi carrots which is better for halwa in comparison to Mahabaleshwar carrots. Khawa or mawa can also be added in the place of milk.

 

Gajar Halwa Recipe - Carrot Halwa Recipe

Prep time : 15 mins

Cook time : 30 mins

Total time : 45 mins

Recipe type : Sweet-Halwa

Cuisine : Indian

Yield : Serves 2  

Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients 

• 2 cups grated carrots / gajar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2  cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp roasted cashews and pistachios

Method 

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. Heat ghee in a  pan and add grated carrots. Stir continuously for 10 minutes.
3. When the carrots begin to leave the sides, add the milk and sugar.
4. Simmer the milk on medium flame till the mixture become thick. Stir in between to prevent it from burning.
5. When the mixture is thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan, remove from the flame.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish the gajar halwa with roasted cashews, pistachios and serve.

Gajar halwa - step by step pictures

1.  Wash, peel and grate the carrots.

2.  Heat ghee in a  pan and add grated carrots. Stir continuously for 10 minutes.

3.  When the carrots begin to leave the sides, add the milk and sugar. Simmer the milk on medium flame till the mixture become thick. Stir in between to prevent it from burning.

4.  When the mixture is thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan, remove from the flame. 

5.  Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish the gajar halwa with roasted cashews, pistachios and serve.