Lauki Ki Sabzi
There are so many names that lauki or bottle gourd, is known by: squash, dudhi sabzi, and ghiya sabzi are just a few of them. But whatever you want to call it.This summer vegetable is delicious, light, refreshing, and very nutritious. Learn how to make Lauki curry or squash curry at home with my easy to follow steps.
Lauki or bottle gourd may not seem much but when cooked right. This tasty dish can give you a scrumptious surprise! The unsuspecting lauki is transformed into a mouthwatering vegetarian meal. Fit for a king!
Not only it taste great. Lauki curry has amazing health benefits. It’s low in calories, high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus its high water content makes it an ideal vegetable for the hot summer months. When you want a break from traditional, hearty, and meaty Pakistani curries or Indian curries.
This dudhi curry or Lauki curry is the way to go!
About Lauki
Lauki, squash, ghiya, or bottle gourd, is a summer vegetable native to the Asian subcontinent. It is readily available in many countries in Asia and is used to make a range of dishes from savory main courses, to desserts and snacks.
This is a favorite Indian curry. Which is also eaten in Pakistan and other neighboring Asian countries. Some of the dishes made using lauki are: Curry, stir-fry, lauki, and daal curry, raita (using lauki and yogurt). And lauki halwa (dessert using lauki, milk, sugar, and ghee).
Therefore It is safe to say that this vegetable is well-liked and a staple in kitchens throughout Asia.
Selecting Best Lauki
The Lauki ki Sabzi or Lauki Curry you make will only be as good as the ingredients you put in it. To make delicious lauki sabzi you need to pick the best type of lauki.
Here’s a quick guide to picking the best bottle gourd.
When picking lauki, Make sure you pick the smaller-sized vegetable because it will pack the most flavor. It should also be pale in color and the skin should be smooth. This type of lauki will have little to no seeds whereasthe bigger bottle gourd will have large seeds that will have to be removed as they cannot be eaten.
Lauki which is darker green in color, often has tougher skin which is harder to peel. You can peel and cut the lauki into small pieces.
Reasons to love this recipe
The fact that Lauki or Bottle gourd is one of the most famous vegetables in Asia should convince you that you will absolutely love the taste! But, There are more reasons to drool over this recipe:
- Simple Recipe: This recipe has got to be one of the easiest recipes on my blog! Let’s face it, Everyone wants to spend the least amount of time possible in the kitchen. There are no long-drawn steps or time-consuming stages in this easy-to-follow recipe.
- Readily Available Ingredients:No matter where you live in the world.Bottle gourd is readily available. In Asia, it is a beloved vegetable. If you can’t find it near you. you can use zucchini as an alternative.
- A Healthy recipe: This Lauki Curry recipe is easy on the stomach, lightly spiced, and a great option for hot summer days. Bottle gourd has great nutritional value, and this recipe will become a family favorite.
- Delicious taste: Not only is it a healthy recipe.But it also tastes great! Win-win situation. Even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this with roti or rice!
Ingredients
- Half cup oil: As always, any neutral oil such as canola, corn, or vegetable is perfect for this curry, because it will not overpower the taste of the curry.
- Sliced onion medium-sized, 1: Onions form the base of all Asian curries. it’s very rare to come across an Asian recipe that does not use onions. It provides body and flavor to the curry.
- ¼ tsp white zeera/ Cumin: Zeera or cumin gives a delicious aroma to the lauki.
- 2 Lauki medium size: the star of the recipe! Lauki is a healthy, fibrous, and nutritious vegetable that makes a delicious light sabzi. You cannot substitute it in this dish, but if you can’t find it near you, try using zucchini.
- Salt: Add according to your taste.
- ¼ tea spoon red chill powder: Red chili gives this curry its kick. it balances out the somewhat bland flavor of the lauki.
- Green chilli 2 to 3 pieces: You can keep these whole or slit it down the middle for an extra kick!
Instructions
Now let’s begin cooking!
- Preheat a pan and add half a cup of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions and sauté over medium-low heat until they become a golden brown color. Be careful not to overcook the onions because this can result in a change in the color of the gravy or curry.
- Stir the onions continuously to ensure even browning.
- Now add ¼ tsp white zeera.
- After the zeera has popped and sizzled to release its aroma add the peeled and sliced lauki.
- Lauki has a high content of water which is released when it’s cooked on a low flame, therefore, you don’t need to add any water to it. Because we have sliced the lauki thinly, it will cook perfectly in the water it releases.
- Lauki sabzi is an ideal summer dish because it doesn’t require too many spices. Proceed by adding ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp red chili powder.
- Next, cover the pan and let it cook on medium-low flame, for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, check the lauki, if it is soft to the touch, it is cooked. If you like some heat, add 2 to 3 pieces of green chilies.
- Cover the pan again and let it cook for a few more minutes.
- Now when you uncover the pan, the curry will have reduced and the oil will be separated from the curry. This indicates that your Lauki ki sabzi is ready!
How to Serve
This Indian and Pakistani curry is very lightly spiced. As you have seen in the recipe and ingredients.There are very few spices that I have added to it. This helps to bring out the taste of the lauki itself.
Therefore..You want to ensure that whatever you serve it with is also very mildly flavored.It is best served with homemade roti or chapati. You could also serve it with boiled white rice.
The carb of your choice should not overpower the flavor of the sabzi.You can also serve a refreshing green salad with the sabzi.Maybe some thinly sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes.
You can also serve it with a raita, a cooling combination of yogurt, some seasonings, and veggies of your choice, like onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, or boiled potatoes.
Pro Tips
Since this is such a simple dish with limited ingredients.
There are no hidden tips or tricks to it! I would recommend that you choose the lauki carefully.Though..Because it is the taste of the lauki that makes all the difference in this curry.So it must be fresh and of good quality.
If the lauki you bought has big white seeds inside, discard them, because they will affect the taste, and not in a good way! This recipe is also quick to make, it doesn’t take much time.
So I would suggest you make it fresh and avoid making and storing for long amounts of time.
FAQs
Sometimes the time taken by the lauki to soften can vary. This depends mostly on the quality of the vegetable. When cooking, always check the lauki. If it’s still hard, you can add some water and cover and let it cook for a further 5-7 minutes.
Yes, you can. Many people like it with some gravy. It can be prepared in both ways. To make it into a gravy, add some more water to it after it has reduced down and the oil is separated. Then let it cook for 2-3 more minutes and check for seasoning.
Yes, you can. after you have added all the spices, add a splash of water and shut your pressure cooker. Give it just 2-3 minutes. The lauki will release a lot of water, you can then let it reduce on high heat.
