Bottle gourd, known by various names such as calabash gourd,long melon, white-flowered gourd, or lauki in Indian languages, is a popular vegetable in Indian households and many other parts of the world. It is also known as doodhi ,or ghia in Hindi, sorakaya and anapakaya in Telegu. This versatile vegetable is not only a great ingredient for various recipes, but it also offers numerous health benefits. In this article, we will delve into the delectable world of bottle gourd curry, a dish that combines the goodness of dietary fiber, essential nutrients, and tantalizing flavors.
Lauki ki sabji or bottle gourd curry is my favourite meal. Unlike many people,I love bottlegourd. Lauki dishes are simple and even amateur cooks can make it. Humble lauki or dudhi is easy to cook. It cooks fast. You need minimal ingredients to make the dudhi sabzi. Great for a mid-week meal too.
If you use oil for tempering, it goes vegan and gluten-free too. You can cook with or without garlic and onions too. Perfect for toddlers also as it goes really soft once cooked. This helps them digest it well.
There are more bottle gourd recipes than you can think of. Make a sweet lauki halwa , lauki raita,lauki barfi or kheer out of it. You can make Lauki kofta and cook it in a gravy. You can also add it to khichdi ,make lauki paratha or make a lauki chana dal sabzi out of it. You can actually replace potato in pav bhaji with doodhi and people wouldn't know.
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How to choose bottle gourd?
Your gourd should be slightly sweet when eaten after peeling the skin. In case it tastes bitter discard immediately. Bitter or sour gourd can cause food poisoning. Old melons usually have tougher skin or might be reddish on peeling. The inner parts get thicker and seeds harder when it becomes old. You can discard that too. Best way to select it is choosing a long and thinner melon when you see those in the market.
It is advisable to eat bottle gourd during pregnancy as it helps you avoid constipation. However, always consult your doctor prior to usage. It is one of the reasons I recovered well post pregnancy too. It has 96% water content and multiple health benefits. Some people will say arre bimaar hai kya jo lauki khaye? But believe me, loki vegetable benefits are many. It saves you from many diseases when you eat it at a regular basis.
what are health benefits of dudhi recipes?
Some of the benefits of the lauki sabji recipe include
- Easy to digest. Hence highly recommended for those recovering from illness or injury.
- Great for diabetics and those who are controlling their weight.
- Eat lauki sabzi for weight loss regularly.
- Natural diuretic and good source of vitamins and Iron.
- Excellent way to control hypertension and UTI.
- Perfect vegetable to help you recover post partum and during pregnancy.
Equipment
- Deep pan / pressure cooker
Ingredients
- ghee/ oil if vegan
- cumin seeds
- curry leaves optional
- green chilies optional
- ginger
- asafoetida optional (avoid if gluten free)
- bottle gourd
- tomatoes
- turmeric powder
- red chilli powder
- salt as per taste
Refer to recipe card for quantity.
How to make lauki ki sabzi in a pan?
- Heat oil/ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, chillies & ginger.
2. Add bottle gourd pieces and little salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes on low flame.
3. Add chopped tomatoes to the pan, cover and cook.
4. Once the tomatoes are soft, add spices(turmeric and red chili powder to the lauki curry. Cover and cook on low heat.
5. The doodhi sabzi will turn transluent and the tomatoes will be completely cooked, continue to cook for 5 more minutes (with a lid)
6. Turn off the heat. Serve warm lauki curry with roti or rice.
Bottle gourd recipe in an instant pot
Learn to make this simple dish in an instant pot, the only different is that you need to little water (½ cup to 1 cup of water) and this healthy recipe is ready in no time.
- Heat oil in the instant pot on saute mode, add cumin seeds with ginger, tomatoes and salt.
Add bottle gourd / lauki pieces
- Add the remaining spices with little water,cover the instant pot with the seal ON position, cook on low pressure for 10 minutes
- Release the pressure after 5 minutes
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, serve warm with Roti (indian flatbread) or jeera rice.
Variation
- An easy variation for loki vegetable curry is to cook in the pressure cooker, with ½ cup water, you get a quick recipe that is a bit water and you can have it with Rice/Roti.
- You can add some some soaked soya chunks or mungodi to it and pressure cook it in an instant pot or pressure cooker.
- Add a potato/onion if there are more people. You actually do not need to add water to this veggie. It releases water as it cooks. You can cook it in a pan or pressure cooker if you like it soupy.
- You can make a south Indian style lauki curry recipe with mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds tempering and cook it without tomatoes.
- If you like you may add some crushed peanuts to the curry. This enhances protein and adds texture to it. Some people may feel pulse drop in old age with this variation. In that case, avoid adding peanuts. You may add coconut for texture. If you want to add roasted and crushed peanuts at the end, before the last 5 minutes.
Storage
Store this in refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Food safety
Always reheat your left-overs. Always check the melon for bitterness.
Related links (other similar recipes )
Read our other Lauki recipes below.
Substitutions
If you cannot find bottle gourd near you, you can make the same curry with ridge gourd or zucchini.
Lauki sabzi recipe | lauki ki sabji recipe
Equipment
- saucepan or pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large bottle gourd chopped 4-5 cups chopped bottle gourd pieces
- 2-3 medium tomatoes
For tempering
- 2 tablespoon ghee/oil if vegan
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 piece ginger
- Sprig of curry leaves optional
- 1 green chillies chopped
- Pinch of asafoetida optional
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder as per taste
- Salt as per taste as per taste
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker or pan, heat oil or ghee.
- Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add ginger, chillies, curry leaves and pinch of asafoetida optionally. Avoid asafoetida or heeng if gluten free.
- Add the chopped bottle gourd pieces with salt.
- Let it cook till it softens.
- Add tomatoes followed by the spices.
- Cook until they are soft or pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.(for pressure cooker, add ½ cup water)
- Serve hot with flatbread or rice.
For bottle gourd recipe in instant pot
- Heat oil in the instant pot on saute mode, add cumin seeds with ginger, tomatoes and salt.Add bottle gourd / lauki pieces
- Add the remaining spices with little water, cover the instant pot with the seal ON position, cook on low pressure for 10 minutes
- Release the pressure after 5 minutesGarnish with fresh coriander leaves, serve warm
Notes
FAQs
No, I taste a bit ( a small bit)) of loki squash before preparing to check if its not bitter.If its bitter, its not considered safe to consume
Ghiya or Dudhi is called bottle gourd or long melon in English
Conclusion
Bottle gourd curry is a side dish commonly prepared in Indian cuisine, especially in North India. It can be made using different cooking methods like stir-frying, using a stovetop pressure cooker, or even in an instant pot. The main ingredient, bottle gourd, is rich in dietary fiber and contains essential nutrients like vitamin C, which promotes a healthy heart and strengthens the immune system. With its low calorie and saturated fat content, bottle gourd is often recommended for those following a weight-loss diet.
Jenifer says
The 2nd recipe is simply sublime. Simple, yet so delectable. Since it turned out spicy, I added a little jaggery and it turned out amazing.
Thanks a myriad for this simple, quick, delectable recipe.