Hyderabad’s Lauki Ki Kheer/Sorakaya Payasam

Back to blogging again after a break, though I dint plan to take one! Work was keeping me super busy and even though I’m taking pictures of the dishes I want to share recipes with you all, just couldn’t find time to sit and write them down. Also, I had this tiny doubt in my mind if people even really care about my blog, lol. But last week, I asked on social media if people still want to read my recipes and got a good response that perked me up and filled me much needed push to get back to blogging. I promise to be regular now and try to post as often as I can.

Sharing Lauki ki Kheer recipe with you guys this week, I made this for my mom on her birthday last week as its her favorite desert. Kheer is one of the most delicious, simple and quick pudding/dessert to prepare. In India we make kheer with so many vegetables, fruits, pulses, dry fruits and various grains too. Lauki or bottle gourd is not a vegetable that is quite commonly used in south India, but I have started to love this vegetable and I make it quiet often at home for chapatis.

Lauki ki kheer is a hyderabadi special dessert made using milk and lauki/sorakaya. Rich in texture and taste, this recipe doesn’t need any special preparations and making it is very easy. It is a super delicious and creamy sweet pudding that is made with full fat milk and bottle gourd. The Lauki Kheer gets its delicious flavours and textures from saffron, cardamom, and nuts. You can serve the Lauki Kheer hot or cold as a dessert when you have a guests at home or during festivals and special occasions, or after an everyday meal

Make this lauki recipe as a special dessert and perk up your family on weekend or weekdays. I suggest generously garnish it with tons of dry fruits and relish it chilled. Here is how to make Lauki Ki kheer.

Ingredients:-

Full cream milk- 1 & 1/2 liters
Bottle gourd/lauki/sorakaya peeled and grated- 1 cup
Sabudana- soaked for 1 hr- 2 tsp
Basmati rice soaked for 1 hr- 2 tsp
Cashews blanched- 10/12
Unsweetened Khoya 50 gms/1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Cardamom powder- ½ tsp
Dry fruits finely sliced for garnishing- 2 tsp

Method:-

Make a paste of soaked basmati rice with cashews and some milk if needed and keep aside, this is used for thickening the kheer.

In a non stick pan add some ghee and saute the grated lauki for few minutes until you see some change in colour and the raw smell goes off. Add some water in the pan and cook lauki until it gets softer.

Now add warm milk that was already boiled and cook the lauki for few more minutes. Add the rice and cashew paste and soaked sabudana to the pan stirring it continuously  and give it a good mix.

Once you see the milk is boiling up add the khoya and sugar, mix everything together evenly without forming any lumps. Sprinkle generous amount of cardamom powder and let this simmer for minimum 10 minutes.

In a small kadai roast all the nuts in a tsp of ghee and keep it ready for garnish.

Once the kheer thickens turn of the flame and add the nuts on top of it and serve it warm or cold and enjoy the rich home-made kheer.