The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

A starring recipe for a party menu: lauki kofta – spiced balls of grated bottle gourd, deep-fried and simmered in a rich tomato gravy. The preparation of lauki kofta takes a bit of planning, and the steps for making the bottle gourd balls can’t be rushed or parallelized – but the end result makes the dish worth every bit of the effort.

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Don’t throw away bottle gourd peel – use it in lauki chutney. Pair with hot rice and ghee for a wholesome, comforting meal.

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Bottle gourd decks up in style in lauki paratha, balancing its natural simplicity with a host of heftier flavors. When grated and kneaded into dough, this unassuming gourd lends its feel and texture to the paratha without making its presence stand out.

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Of late I have been on the lookout for recipes that would put my stock of fennel seeds to good use. I also intend not to restock tomatoes till their price subsides to non-crazy level. My quest came to a satisfying end with this recipe for dahi wali lauki. Easy on the pocket , great to taste, fennel flavored, and no tomatoes.

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The magic of some recipes lies in exclusion: the dish tastes so good because certain conventional ingredients are knocked off from its making. This recipe of saadi lauki sabzi (simple bottle gourd curry) , passed down from my grandmother’s kitchen, falls in that hallowed category.

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Raita (yogurt dip), with bottle gourd as its prime ingredient, provides a lovely balance to rich Indian gravies. Bottle gourd and yogurt are bland on their own, but the other ingredients that go with lauki raita give it a suprising tangy twist.

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When you want a simple tasty vegetable curry to be ready without much effort, this stew of bottle gourd, potatoes and tomatoes is your answer. Use a pressure-cooker to make lauki aloo and you save a lot on time too.

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