Lauki/Bottle Gourd/Sorakaya Halwa brings back fond memories of my dad to me.My mom had to go out of town and he had to engage both of us one afternoon. So he made sorakaya halwa with us. We were probably around 6 years of age, at that age it felt very exciting to cook with my dad. I probably never got a chance to eat this dish after that.
Preparation time:40 minutes
Ingredients:
6 Cashews split
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
6 raisins
1 tablespoon Ghee
1/4 cup khoya(kova)
2 cups whole Milk
6 cups grated white gourd(bottle gourd/sorakaya/gol kaddhu-peeled and deseeded)
1 cup Sugar(adjust as per taste)
Preparation time:40 minutes
Serves:6
Ingredients:
6 Cashews split
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
6 raisins
1 tablespoon Ghee
1/4 cup khoya(kova)
2 cups whole Milk
6 cups grated white gourd(bottle gourd/sorakaya/gol kaddhu-peeled and deseeded)
1 cup Sugar(adjust as per taste)
Procedure:
1.Heat ghee in a pan and roast cashews and keep aside.
2.In the same pan roast raisins and keep aside
3.To the same pan add the grated bottle gourd and let cook until it is halfway done. Do not add any water as the bottle gourd will start leaving water, let it cook in its own juices.
4.Add the milk and mix it until the bottle gourd is cooked and all the milk and liquid is evaporated.
5.Now add sugar,cardamom powder and Khoya to it, It will start getting watery again, keep mixing until it gets dry and starts coming together, your halwa is ready,Garnish with previously roasted cashews and raisins and serve.
Tips:
Some people prefer halwa with liquid still in it, for that you can just do the last step without letting the water evaporate. I personally prefer the dryer halwa.
You can serve it warm or refrigerated.
Prathima Koneru 
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