Lau otherwise known as Bottle gourd/ Dudhi/Lauki is one of those mild tasting vegetables which is mostly used in North India as a dessert . However in Eastern States like Odisha and WestBengal it is used both as a sweet and savory dish.
We cook au with moong dal known as Lau muga dalma, Lau Badhi Tarkari, Lau Ghanta to name a few apart from lau Podapitha . Lau or Bottle gourd is considered to be beneficial for diabetic patients as it is low in calorie, got high fiber and rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. lau/ Bottle gourd has got a mild flavor of its own and has the tendency to absorb whatever flavors you add into it. Today I made a very simple recipe called lau chingudi which has bottle gourd cooked along with prawns. You can serve this recipe along with rice and dal.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle gourd, peeled and chopped finely
- 20-25 small shrimps
- 1/2 tsp panch phutan
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Directions:
- Clean and remove the shells of the prawns.Marinate with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and some salt and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the prawns and saute till almost done. Keep aside.
- In the same saucepan, add some mustard oil and heat it further. Temper with Panch Phutan and once it splutters add the chopped bottle gourd, little salt and mix well.
- Cover and cook till the bottle gourd is almost done. Now add roasted cumin powder, chili powder, prawns and mix well.
- Now add the green chilies and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.Lastly add the sugar to balance the flavors.
- Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with white rice and dal .
Notes:
Try to use smaller size prawns as it tastes better with that. Since I didn’t have that I have used medium size prawns.
Comments are closed.