Lauki Ki Kheer is a delicious, perfectly creamy Indian pudding made with bottle gourd (lauki), sugar, and milk. Light on the stomach and big on flavors, Lauki Ki Kheer is a gluten-free dessert. Serve it chilled or warm and don’t forget to sprinkle a generous helping of pistachio just before serving.
Lauki Ki Kheer is one of those Indian dessert recipes you should bookmark for the festive occasions and family dinners. Everybody loves it to the core.
The magic is the combination of thickened milk and the bottle gourd, which in turn results in an utterly creamy kheer.
Ingredients Required
You need only 6 ingredients to make a delicious kheer with bottle gourd.
Bottle Gourd – you need freshly grated bottle gourd (lauki) without skin and white pulp/seeds
Milk – use only full-fat or full-cream milk to make kheer
Sugar – you can replace white sugar with jaggery powder or brown sugar
Saffron (kesar), Green Cardamom Powder, Ghee
Thinking what else tasty can be cooked with bottle gourd? Try my family’s favorite lauki kofta curry or summer special dahiwali lauki. Both are gluten-free recipes.
My Tried & True Tips To Make Perfect Lauki Ki Kheer:
Use full cream milk to make any type of Indian kheer. The end result is so much better than toned milk.
Avoid using corn starch or thickening agent to get the thick consistency of the kheer. Instead, allow the milk to simmer over low heat until it reduces to almost half of the original amount.
Keep stirring the milk while simmering at regular intervals for two reasons, one to avoid burning of the milk, and second to collect the layer of cream and add it back to the milk. This way you will surely get a luscious and creamy kheer.
Make sure while frying the grated bottle gourd that it becomes completely dry and almost cooked.
Always add sugar towards the end. Once you add the sugar the milk stops thickening.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve lauki kheer warm or chilled. I like mine chilled. Once kheer is ready, allow it to cool down completely at room temperature. Next, keep it in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours to get chilled.
Storage Suggestions
You can store lauki ki kheer in the refrigerator for a week. Always store it in an airtight container. Milk has a short shelf life, hence, do not leave the kheer at room temperature for more than 1 – 2 hours especially in hot climatic conditions.
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Lauki Ki Kheer Recipe
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup grated bottle gourd (lauki)
- 1 litre full-fat milk
- 1/2 Cup granulated white sugar or to taste
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron (kesar)
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Ingredients for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon sliced pistachio
Instructions
- Peel to remove the outer skin of the bottle gourd. Discard the white pulp and the seeds. Grate the firm green part.
- Transfer grated bottle gourd to a muslin cloth. Squeeze tightly to remove all the water from the grated bottle gourd. Set it aside.
- Next heat ghee in a frying pan. Add the grated bottle gourd and fry over low heat for 5 – 10 minutes. Keep stirring to fry evenly. This step ensures to remove all the water from the grated bottle gourd. Turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom saucepan heat milk. Add the cardamom powder and stir to combine. Let the milk come to a boil once and then reduce the heat to low.
- Allow the milk to simmer over low heat till it reduces to half the original amount.
- Add the grated lauki and cook till the milk thickens. Keep stirring continuously. The kheer will become thick and creamy.
- Add sugar, saffron, and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish with sliced pistachio before serving.
- Serve Lauki Ki Kheer chilled or warm.
Recipe Notes:
- Use full cream milk
- Avoid using corn starch or thickening agent to get the thick consistency of the kheer. Instead, allow the milk to simmer over low heat until it reduces to almost half of the original amount.
- Keep stirring the milk while simmering at regular intervals for two reasons, one to avoid burning of the milk, and second to collect the layer of cream and add it back to the milk.
- Make sure while frying the grated bottle gourd that it becomes completely dry.
- Always add sugar towards the end. Once you add the sugar the milk stops thickening.
4 comments
I like this recipe for fasting. Very easy.
Yes, it is very tasty and easy to make for fasting.
Hey, I tried this today and turned out just fantastic! Thank you 🙂
thank you for such lovely feedback.