Flaunt Your Culinary Skills With These 2 Bottle Gourd Recipes

Bottle gourd is the most common vegetable used in every Indian household. It is also known as lauki, Ghia, doodhi in North and South India. People think that it is on the list of bland vegetables, but it is the healthiest and full of nutrients, flavours if compared with others. It cools down your body temperature, helps in digestion, and keeps you hydrated. So, switch your boring lauki sabzi with these delectable, delicious forms and enjoy it in your everyday meal. You can consume these dishes on your fasting days and keep yourself full throughout the day.

1. Lauki Halwa

A sweet dessert made from bottle gourd. It is rich and super delicious, which is ready in less than half an hour. The method of making doodhi halwa is much similar to making a gajar halwa.

Ingredients:

  • 5 tbsp ghee
  • 2 cups lauki (grated)
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sugar or as required
  • ½ tsp fresh cardamom seed powder
  • 4-5 tbsp dry nuts (almonds, cashews, or pistachios)
  • 1 tbsp raisins (optional)
  • Few drops of kewra essence (optional)

How To Make Lauki Halwa?

  1. Firstly rinse, peel and grate the lauki—heat ghee in a kadhai or pan. Add grated lauki once the ghee is hot. Mix and gradually saute on a low to medium flame.
  2. Saute till the moisture dries. Then add milk and mix well. Continue to cook on low to medium flame till milk comes to a boil. In between, keep stirring.
  3. Now add sugar and cook till the milk reduces and is absorbed in the lauki.
  4. Once it is done, add chopped nuts. Mix well and add cardamom powder and a few drops of kewra essence.
  5. Mix gently; if the halwa is thickened up and you see some ghee at the sides means the halwa is ready.

Serve warm and enjoy!

2. Lauki Paratha

This lauki paratha has no garlic or onion, and you can have them on your fasting days with a cup of chai.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups lauki (grated)
  • 2 cups wheat flour
  • 2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
  • 1 pinch of asafoetida
  • 1 pinch of red chilli powder
  • Pinch of garam masala powder
  • ½ tsp ajwain
  • Oil for roasting
  • Salt, as per taste

How To Make Lauki Paratha?

  1. Peel and grate the lauki, extract the excess water from them and place them in a bowl.
  2. Add finely chopped green chilli, all the dried spices, and mix well.
  3. Now add wheat flour and 1 tbsp of oil. Knead a smooth dough. Don’t add much water; try to gather the flour and knead in the juice from the lauki.
  4. Once it is done, apply oil on the dough and heat tawa or griddle for roasting.
  5. Take a small-sized ball from the dough and roll it on the rolling board to a small thin medium-sized paratha with a rolling pin.
  6. Transfer the rolled paratha on hot tawa, flip and spread ghee to cook from both sides. Cook till it turns crispy and golden brown. Once it is done, serve it on the plate.

Your lauki paratha is ready to serve warm with curd, pickle, or mint green chutney.