Gajar - Lauki Halwa (no-ghee version) - a step by step recipe | Diwali Sweet recipe

I was honestly tired of making Gajar Halwa - although its a family favourite, it was nearing its expiry date in terms of being the first choice for festivals / quick desserts for unexpected guests / luncheons / potluck parties. As a family, we are also quite conscious about how much oil and sugar we consume . So, when I saw a nice fresh lauki (bottle gourd) peeking from the pantry, I quickly rustled up this Gajar and Lauki Halwa (adapted from my bookmark here) for the Diwali festival, where we had some friends dropping in. And voila ! It was guilt free too (to an extent) as I didnt use ghee at all, but some mawa (unsweetened solidified milk fudge). For sweet lovers, i would recommend they up the sugar a bit more , but for my family and those who dropped in -  it was the perfect taste. Hope you would also make this dish for your family and enjoy the mild sweetness with a hint of sugar and saffron and crunchy fried nuts to complete that divine experience.  I served this with a Mixed Bhajia platter to the guests for a quick evening snack, and the combo was enthusiastically received :-)

Sending this quick dish to:  
Blogging Marathon (Day 3), Radhika's Diwali event, Khushi's My Diwali My Way, Anu's Diwali - festival of lights, Krithi and Denny's Serve It Festival Potluck, Pari’s Only Sweets & Desserts hosted by Gayathri & also to Priya & Aipi's Tuesday's bookmarked recipes.


Check out my fellow marathoners here

See other Indian Sweets here


Prep time : 10 mins. Cooking time : 15 mins. Serves : 4

Ingredients: 

• Carrots - 2 large
• Lauki / bottle gourd - 1 medium
• Mawa / condensed unsweetened milk fudge - 2 TBSP
• Sugar - 3 TBSP
• Condensed Milk - 3 TBSP
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Saffron - a few strands
• Cardamom - 1 no.
• Almonds / raisins / Cashew for garnish

Method:

1) Wash, peel and grate carrots and bottle gourd finely. Place the veggies in a deep bottomed vessel. Add the milk and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Cool and drain all the water from cooked veggies.
2) Powder the sugar with cardamom in a spice grinder.
3) In a thick non stick pan, add the boiled veggies and half the mawa and stir continuously on a slow flame. 
4) When the halwa reduces by 1/4 or 1/3, add the powdered sugar and stir again on a low- medium flame. Once the sugar melts and the oil (from the mawa) begins to separate, add the remaining mawa and give it a vigorous stir for 5 - 7 mins (get those arm muscles moving :-)). 
5) Now add the saffron and the nuts (if you wish, you may lightly fry the raisins in just a drop of ghee) and serve warm. This halwa goes very well with a plate of mixed hot bhajias !