5 amazing bottle gourd recipes you must try at home
What's the story
Popularly known as lauki in Hindi, bottle gourd has almost 90% water content and is packed with a lot of health benefits.
Loaded with high fiber and almost zero fat, bottle gourd promotes heart health, helps in weight loss, and prevents the risk of diabetes.
It has a cooling effect on the body and reduces stress.
Here are five recipes using bottle gourd.
Sweet dessert
Lauki ka halwa
Made from soy milk, bottle gourd, and pistachios, this lauki ka halwa is usually prepared during festivities.
Saute margarine, butter, and grated bottle gourd in a kadhai. Stir and reduce them.
Add jaggery and mix well.
Boil soy milk and chopped almonds in a saucepan. Add the milk mixture to the kadhai and mix well. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve hot.
Baked dish
Stuffed lauki
Blanch bottle gourd and peel, de-seed, and cut several hollow discs.
Marinade the lauki with lemon juice, chili powder, and garam masala and set aside.
Stir-fry cumin seeds, onion, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger paste, chopped garlic, coriander, grated paneer, salt, and pepper in a pan.
Fill the hollow of the lauki with it, wrap in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Hot and crispy
Lauki dosa
This lauki dosa is healthy and weight-loss friendly.
Blend chopped lauki with some water to form a smooth paste.
Transfer this paste to a bowl, add rice flour, semolina, salt, water, and green chili and mix well to form a dosa batter.
Keep the batter aside for 15 minutes. Cook the batter in oil until brown and crisp.
Serve hot with sambhar and chutney.
Dry dish
Lauki ki sabzi
Made with fresh bottle gourds, this dry sabzi can be had for lunch or dinner with puris or parathas.
Saute cumin seeds, garlic, and green chilies in ghee for a minute.
Add chopped bottle gourd, turmeric powder, and chili powder, mix well and saute for two minutes.
Add salt and cook for four-five minutes. Saute for two minutes more.
Serve hot.
Sweet and savory
Lauki ka daalna
This sweet and savory lauki preparation is a must-try.
Saute peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, black cardamom, and fenugreek seeds in ghee.
Add green chilies, finely chopped bottle gourd, and salt and stir well.
Cover and cook until the bottle gourd becomes tender and nice.
Add milk and sugar and cook for some time. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.