This is an everyday dish made mostly at home. Simple, yet delicious! Bottle Gourd is a light vegetable, easy to make and easy on the stomach. It is low in calories and fat and with the water-content being so high, it’s perfect for toddlers and people under the weather.
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd (Ghia, Doodhi, Lauki, Opo Squash) – 2 lbs (approx 1/2 kg), peeled and cubed
Onion – ½ small, sliced
Green Chilies – to taste, chopped
Tomatoes – 1, medium, cubed
Ginger – 1 tbsp, minced
Cilantro – 12-15 sprigs, finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Water – ¼ cup
Salt – to taste
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
Method:
1. Peel and cube the Bottle Gourd.
2. Prep all the ingredients ahead.
3. In a pressure cooker, heat Oil on medium heat.
4. Add in the Ginger and stir for 30 sec.
5. Add in the Turmeric Powder and mix in.
6. Add in the Onions, mix and allow them to turn translucent. Mix frequently.
7. Add in the Green Chilies, Bottle Gourd, Water and Salt. Mix.
8. Cover and close the Pressure Cooker and allow it to whistle once.
9. Turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release by itself.
10. Open and stir and turn the stove on medium heat again.
11. Add in the Tomatoes, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder and 1/2 the Cilantro.
12. Allow the liquid to reduce and the tomatoes to soften, approx. 5-7 min.
13. Depending on your personal preference, mash down the cubes with a potato masher or the back-side of the ladle.
14. Cook till it reaches the desired consistency of thickness.
15. Check the Salt and spices and adjust if needed.
16. Serve hot with Chapatis with balance of the Cilantro as garnish.
Tip:
1. Add little salt before pressure cooking as Bottle Gourd reduces. It can always be adjusted later.
2. Great dish for Toddlers – tone down spices and mash down further or blend if necessary. Serve with rice or soak chapatis in gravy.
3. Don’t own a Pressure Cooker? No worries – this dish can easily be made in a pan. Follow the same process.
