DOODHI HALWA (BOTTLE/SWEET GOURD HALWA)
This is a popular desert dish of Maharashtra and western India. It akes an half an hour to prepare.
The ingredients for a dozen persons.
- A large 1 kg Doodhi (Bottle Gourd or also called Sweet Gourd)
- 250 gram mawaa i.e. condensed milk with little or no moisture (dessicated)
- Half cup sugar (150 gm)
- 4 green cardamom in powdered form; 10 strands of saffron Raisins
Method:
Peel the skin off the doodhi. Wash and dry it. Next, grate the doodhi. Mix it well with the ingredients of condensed milk (maawa), cardom and sugar. Then place the grated doodhi, mawaa, sugar and saffron strands in a deep pan (kadai or wok) on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously. The mixture will release considerable moisture and contiunous stirring will yield a consistent mixture. After a while, raise to high heat while continuing to stir. When the mixture forms a consistent blob and no longer sticks to the pan, then turn the heat off. Put this in a serving bowl. Add cardomom powder and raisins.
The dish is ready to eat. Serve hot or cold.
