Lau Raee

Today I am back with yet another Lauki recipe. No matter how much I experiment with it, I am not getting over this wonderful vegetable. Subtly flavored and with a high water content, it imbibes the added flavors rather easily. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time-20-30 mins

Ingredients - 4 cups chopped lauki, 1 medium sized tomato chopped, 1 medium onion chopped, 1/2 tsp pancha-phutana or mustard seeds, 1 dry red chilli, 1/3 tsp turmeric, salt to taste, 2 tsp oil, 2/3 cup grated coconut.

For the mustard paste: 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 5-6 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli.

Preparation: Grind the mustard, cumin and red chilli into coarse powder in dry state .Then add a little water along with garlic flakes and grind again into a fine paste.

Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the broken red chilli and mustard seeds.

Add the chopped onion and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and cook till it softens.

Add the mustard paste along with 2 cups water. Add salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil.

Add the lauki/bottle gourd pieces and cover with  a lid. Cook till the lauki softens. (Do not throw away excess water as this curry tends to be watery.)

Garnish with grated coconut and serve with rice and dal.

Lau Chana

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Cost of Preraration: 25-30 Rupees

Ingredients: Lau (bottle gourd, lauki)( 200 gm ), chana dal ( 100 gm ), red chilli ( 2-3 nos), pancha phutana ( 1/2 tsp ), ginger ( 1/2 inch,optional ), onion(1 small ), ginger garlic paste ( 1 tsp ), cumin-chilli powder ( 1/5 tsp ) , bay leaf ( 1 no ), garam masala (1/4 tsp optional) oil , salt.

Preparation: Soak the chana dal for 4-5 hours. Put in a pressure cooker. Allow for 3 whistles. Keep aside.

Peel the bottle gourd and cut into small pieces. Put in a pressure cooker and allow for a single whistle. Keep aside.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add 2 tsp oil and allow it to smoke. Add the bay leaf, red chillis and pancha phutana. Follow it with the onion ( finely cut into long strips). Fry till the onion turns golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and the crushed garlic. Fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the boiled gourd. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the boiled chana dal and bring to a boil. Keep on the boil for 5-6 minutes. Add the garam masala and clode the lid. Remove from the fire.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.