Lauki Sabji: Make The Most Comforting And Delicious Bottle Gourd Dish At Home

A simple and easy gravy-based recipe, lauki sabji is ideally prepared from diced bottle gourd. A basic bottle gourd recipe, lauki ki sabji requires minimum spices, and is cooked in a tomato and onion-based curry. Extremely healthy and nutritious, as well as a comforting meal to have during the summer months, lauki sabji recipe mainly originates from the North Indian states. Check out this quick and delightful bottle gourd recipe to prepare and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal at home.

What is Lauki?

Lauki basically refers to bottle gourd or opo squash. In India lauki goes by a number of names such as dudhi, ghiya, sorakaya, sorakkai, and many more, depending on the region and the language spoken. Mainly harvested during the summer months in India, lauki is used in a number of Indian recipes that make up for a healthy and delicious meal, while also having numerous health benefits. With its mild flavour and versatility, lauki is not only used to prepare savoury recipes, but also desserts.

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Healthy benefits of lauki

1. Rich in nutrients: Bottle gourd is a nutrient-rich vegetable. Containing essential minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium, lauki is also rich in vitamins C, B and K.
2. Digestive benefits: Lauki is a great food promoting gut health. It contains essential dietary fibres that help in bowel movement and prevent constipation. 
3. Hydrating qualities: Lauki has a high water content and aids in maintaining body hydration, which is especially essential during summers. 
4. Weight management: High in fibre and low in calories, lauki is a great vegetable promoting weight management as it lowers one’s calorie consumption.

Check out this wholesome lauki sabji recipe for a great meal

Lauki ki sabji ingredients

You would require the following lauki ingredients to prepare lauki ki sabji at home: 

1. 450 grams/ 3 cups of lauki (diced) 
2. 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
3. 1 large tomato, chopped and deseeded
4. ½ inch of ginger, finely chopped
5. 1 green chilli, slit
6. 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
7. ½ tsp cumin seeds
8. ½- ⅓ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
9. ⅛ tsp turmeric
10. ½ tsp garam masala
11. ½ tsp fennel powder
12. ¾ coriander powder
13. ½- ¾ tsp salt
14. 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
15. 2 tbsp oil
16. ½- ⅔ cups of water

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Steps to prepare lauki sabji

Follow the given steps to prepare bottle gourd sabji: 

1. Heat oil in a pan, and add in the cumin seeds. 
2. Once the cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add in the curry leaves, followed by onions, ginger and green chilli.
3. Add in the onions and saute until they turn transparent. 
4. Add the tomatoes with a half of the salt as mentioned in the lauki ingredients. Saute until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy. 
5. Add in the red chilli powder, along with coriander powder and saute. 
6. Add in the lauki along with the rest of the salt. And cook on medium to high flame for 3-4 minutes.
7. Pour in the water and give the lauki ingredients in the pan a good stir. 
8. Cover and cook on medium flame until the lauki turns soft and is fully cooked.
9. Add in more water if required, and once the lauki ki sabji is fully cooked, taste test the salt level and add more salt if required. 
10. Sprinkle garam masala powder over the lauki sabji and further cook on high flame, because the bottle gourd releases water while cooking uncovered. 
11. Once the bottle gourd sabji is fully cooked, turn off the flame and serve hot.

Pro tip: You can also add dried moong lentil dumplings or mongaudi to the lauki sabji recipe for an added texture and enhanced taste.