How to Make Creamy Lauki Halwa with a Silk Chocolate Drizzle

One of the most underrated halwas, given how a vegetable is used in it, but still quite a cherished one, lauki halwa is a must-try when you want to try something desi. Lauki halwa might not usually get people excited, but it’s one of those sweets that shows up during fasts or family dinners, quietly doing its job. But our version pushes it up a notch, without turning it into something unrecognizable. The gourd cooks down the usual way, with milk and ghee, but it ends with a warm drizzle of melted Silk chocolate. Not stirred in, not baked on, just poured over right before serving, so it melts slightly into the top and gives each bite a little extra hit. If that sounds intriguing to you, then try this recipe of lauki halwa with Silk chocolate drizzle today.

Lauki Halwa with Silk Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp ghee
• 2 cups tightly packed lauki, grated
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup sugar, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp cardamom powder (or 5 to 6 green cardamoms, crushed)
• 3 to 4 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, or pistachios)
• 1 tbsp raisins, optional
• ¼ cup Dairy Milk Silk Chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

1. Start by grating the bottle gourd. Pick a lauki that weighs 300-400 grams. Halve and slice a bit and taste; if it is sour or bitter, it is unfit for cooking. If it tastes normal, then rinse, peel, and grate it. Measure 2 cups of the lauki, packed tightly, and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee in a thick-bottom pan or a big kadhai on medium flame or slightly lower. Once the ghee melts, add the grated lauki and mix well with the ghee.
3. Saute the lauki, stirring occasionally, until the moisture in the lauki dries up. Then pour the milk into the pan or kadhai. Mix well.
4. Bring the milk to a boil, cooking it on medium-low flame, stirring at times. Keep a close watch to prevent the milk from spilling over.
5. Keep cooking until the milk reduces to ¾ of its quantity and is absorbed by the lauki.
6. Quickly add the sugar and chopped nuts and mix well. For an aromatic version, you can add 2-3 teaspoons of rose water or kewra water here.
7. Stir often until the halwa thickens and starts coming together. You’ll know this when the halwa starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and some ghee is released.
8. Once it is thick enough and not too wet, swift off the stove and add the raisins. Mix well.
9. For the chocolate drizzle: While the halwa cools slightly, melt the milk chocolate in a small bowl. Use the double boiler method (bowl over a pan of simmering water) or microwave method (heating 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval) until smooth.
10. Drizzle the melted chocolate generously with a spoon or knife over each portion of the lauki halwa serving.
11. Garnish the lauki halwa with chopped nuts and serve hot or warm.
12. Refrigerate the extra halwa, which will keep well for 2-3 days.