Stir Fry Bottle gourd with Black Gram-Lauki Aur kale Chane ki Sabji

I consider bottle gourd as a very unique vegetable and at the same time adaptable in making either sweet or salty dishes. I love for its simplistic mild flavor.

Bottle gourd is known by host of other names in different parts of India- Lauki and Doodhi being some of the commonly known name.

Off late it has gained popularity because of its increasing use in “Ayurveda treatment”. Those of you who practices yoga must know that Yoga guru “Baba Ramdev” urges everyone to include bottle gourd in their daily meal to follow healthy eating habits and for its nutritional benefits.

This simple vegetable is loaded with health benefits. . Its juice is known to lower cholesterol and beneficial for diabetic patients. It is rich in iron, protein and fiber. It is 96.1% water, and is light on the stomach and aids digestion. Do you know 100 gm serving of lauki contains just 12 calories.... Isn't this amazing to know especially for those who are constantly watching the weight machine. I can just live on this vegetable and can easily adjust it to whatever recipe it is used in. You can use them for dry stir fries, curries, with lentils, in desserts, soups and a lot more creative recipes.

I know many who don't like to eat bottle gourd as a simple veggie, especially kids. They are not very excited by the look of the veggie and for its simple taste. I guess, it simply doesn't appeal to them. But try serving this recipe, bet you will be asked for  more servings.

The recipe today is adapted from my mom. I remember her cooking this recipe with sheer enthusiasm and serving it with pure vehemence :)  It is an extremely light dish on your palate and super quick dish but still packed with tons of flavor and taste.  The ingredients used are very basic and easily available but the end results are astonishing.

This is again a perfect dish for weight watchers. There is no onion garlic in this recipe and it is very lightly spiced.  Hopefully you guys will enjoy this dish as much as I do …..

Preparation Time: Under 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd: 500 gms cut in quarter pieces

Boiled Black Gram: 1 cup

Whole Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp

Asafetida:1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: a pinch

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Carom Seeds: 1 ½ tsp

Dry Mango Powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder:1/2 tsp

Sugar: 1 tsp

Salt: As required

Clarified Butter: 1 ½ tsp

Crushed Black Pepper: 1 tsp

Green Chilli: 1 slit length wise

Green Coriander Leaves: 1 Cup

Method:

1. Scrap the outer skin of the bottle gourd, wash and cut it into half inches of cubes. Don’t forget to scoop out the seeds.

2. Grind the pressure cooked black grams in a blender to make a coarse mixture. The black gram should retain its texture and avoid blending it into a fine paste.

3. Add coriander powder, carom seeds, dry mango powder , crushed black pepper and garam masala powder to the black gram mixture and leave it to marinate for 5 -10 minutes.

4. Heat clarified butter in a kadhai (wok). Add cumin seeds and asafetida powder to it. When the cumin seeds start crackling, add turmeric powder, sugar and green chilli. Fry for 10 seconds on low flame.

5. Now add the bottle gourd pieces and salt to it and cook it on high flame for 10 minutes till the moisture (water) evaporates. Keep stirring the bottle gourd occasionally to avoid getting sticked.

6. Mix the vegetable in the wok well and cover it with a lid to cook it till it turns tender. It will approximately take 15 minutes.

7. The next step is to add the black gram mixture to the bottle gourd veggie in the wok. Check the seasoning and if required add some salt. Cover it and cook it in medium flame for 5 minutes before switching off the flame. Allow standing time of 1-2 minutes.

Garnish it with lots of fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve it with chapatti or any other Indian tandoori bread.