Lauki Ki Kheer

Lauki Ki Kheer – A creamy, rich, and delicious traditional Indian dessert made with grated bottle gourd, whole milk, sugar, cardamom, saffron and, nuts. It’s a mildly sweet and comforting pudding, perfect for special occasions and festivals.

What is lauki ki kheer?

Lauki Ki Kheer is a classic Indian pudding or dessert made from grated bottle gourd (lauki), milk, sugar and, cardamom. The grated lauki is sauteed in ghee, cooked in milk, sweetened with sugar and flavored with saffron and cardamom. It is a rich, creamy, and mildly sweet Indian dessert, often enjoyed during festivals such as Diwali, Navratri, Eid, and Raksha Bandhan. It can also be made on fasting days like Navratri or Shivratri!

This kheer is also known as Ghiya Ki Kheer, Sorakaya Payasam or Dudhi Kheer. It is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, requiring minimal ingredients and little time. It can be served warm or chilled as a dessert.

Ingredients & Substitutes:

Bottle Gourd – It is also known as Opo Squash. Make sure you are using fresh and tender bottle gourd for the best taste and flavor. Taste the bottle gourd first if it has any bitterness. Discard it if it is bitter.

Milk – Use full-fat or whole milk for the rich and creamy texture. I have used boiled and cooled milk in this recipe.

Ghee – Ghee is clarified butter. You can get it from any Indian store or make your own using butter. You can also swap it with coconut oil if you don’t have ghee.

Sugar – I have used white sugar, it can be replaced with brown sugar. If you want to use jaggery, see the tips section below.

Saffron – Adds a lovely color and flavor. Totally optional though.

Cardamom – Do not skip adding cardamom. Use freshly ground cardamom if possible.

Nuts – I have used almonds and pistachios. You can use any of your favorite nuts.

Serving suggestions:

Lauki kheer tastes best when served cold. Chill it in the refrigerator for few hours before serving. You can also serve it warm, especially during colder months. Reheat gently over a low heat before serving.

Serve it in dessert bowls topped with chopped nuts and rose petals. You could also pair it with Indian gulab jamuns.

Storage suggestions:

It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Transfer the any leftover pudding to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Tips & Notes:

Use fresh and tender lauki only. Do not use hard or mature bottle gourd.

Use a large hole hand grater of food processor to grate the bottle gourd for a better texture, do not use the fine grater.

Some recipes require squeezing the grated lauki to remove excess water, but I didn’t do that. If you want, you can squeeze some water content.

Do not skip roasting grated bottle gourd in ghee, it will enhance the flavor.

Use full-fat milk and boil it well before using it to make the kheer.

Stir the kheer frequently to prevent it from burning.

Adjust the sugar as per your taste preference. Taste the kheer and add more if you want to increase the sweetness. You can also add some condensed milk for a richer texture. In that case, adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.

If you are using jaggery instead of sugar, add after turning off the heat. Do not boil the kheer after adding the jaggery, as it can cause the milk to curdle. Once the lauki is cooked and milk has thickened a bit, remove it from the heat and add jaggery.

I have used raw nuts, you can roast them in ghee until golden brown if you want. You could also add rose water or kewra essence towards the end to add a floral touch.

Step by step instructions:

Wash, peel, and grate a bottle gourd. Discard the seeds. You will need 1 cup of tightly packed grated lauki. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a wide and heavy bottomed pan and add grated lauki.

Saute for about 5 minutes.

Add milk and saffron strands to the roasted lauki. Bring it to a boil for 5 minutes.

Then reduce the flame to medium-low heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Don’t forget to stir frequently.

Cook until milk has reduced a bit and lauki is soft and cooked.

Add required sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts. Mix well and let it cook for 3-5 minutes.

Remove it from flame and serve warm or chilled. It will thicken more as it cools.

Few more Indian dessert recipes:

• Apple Mawa Kheer
• Sago Payasam
• Instant Pot Semiya Payasam
• Motichoor Ladoo Kheer
• Pineapple Kesari
• Beetroot Halwa
• Mohanthal
• Custard Rasgulla
• Custard Gulab Jamun

How to make lauki kheer recipe video below: