Bottle Gourd Chutney (Sorakaya Pachadi - Andhra / Telangana Cuisine)

 

         Bottle Gourd Chutney or Sorakaya Pachadi in the local Telugu lingo is a very delicious chutney that is full of flavors. Thinly sliced bottle gourd is sautéed along with garlic, green chilies and a handful of coriander leaves. It is then coarsely ground and tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Roasted sesame, roasted peanuts and fresh grated coconut can also be added for enhanced flavor. 

         

           This simple and easy to prepare Pachadi is best relished with hot steamed rice-ghee combo, with chapatis, as a spread on toasts / parathas, with any South Indian breakfast like idli, dosa, vada, and finally as a dip along with some vegetable crudités or chips. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this amazing chutney

• 1 medium size bottle gourd
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 5-6 garlic, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. lime juice

Tempering - 

• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 tsp. urad dal

          Peel the bottle gourd and slice them. Soak in water to prevent from discoloration. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the chopped garlic and green chilies. Sauté till light brown.

          Now add the sliced bottle gourd, salt to taste, turmeric powder and roasted coriander powder. 

          Mix everything well and cook, covered till it is tender. Sprinkle water at times if needed.

          Add the chopped coriander leaves and continue to sauté for a minute. Switch off the flame and keep aside to cool down. Then blend coarsely in a mixer grinder. 

          Tempering - Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves, urad dal and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Then add the coarsely ground paste and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. 

          When done, switch off the flame and add lime juice. Serve with hot steamed rice, paratha or chapatti. 

Peel the bottle gourd & slice them. Soak in water to prevent it from discoloration. 

       Heat oil in a pan  temper with cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                Add the chopped garlic & green chilies. Sauté till light brown.

Add the sliced bottle gourd, salt to taste, turmeric powder & roasted coriander powder. 

Mix everything well & cook, covered, till it is tender. Sprinkle water at times if needed.

Add the chopped coriander leaves & continue to sauté for a minute. Switch off the flame && keep aside to cool down. Then blend coarsely in a mixer grinder. 

Tempering - Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves, urad dal & asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

Then add the coarsely ground paste & stir fry for 4-5 minutes. When done, switch off the flame & add lime juice. 

                  Serve with hot steamed rice, paratha or chapatti. 

Lau Chingri (Lauki / Bottle gourd & Prawns Curry - Bong Style)

 

           Lau Chingri (Lauki / Bottlegourd with Prawns) is a traditional Bengali homemade delicacy. The addition of Prawns cooked with Lauki and a medley of spices tastes simply delicious. This is my version of Lauki & Prawns cooked with onion, ginger and garlic. 

           There is another version of this quintessential dish prepared without onion and garlic in a veg. form with bori (dried lentil dumplings). So enjoy Lau Chingri with either rice or chapatti. I personally like to relish it with hot steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this awesome regional dish.

          This particular dish happens to be a hot favorite among the Bong crowd. Adding ghee to the end product adds a nice flavour to the dish. In fact this is how I prepare it. 

          And not to forget the mustard oil, which no doubt, should be the medium of cooking for a traditional touch. Sugar is another important ingredient added to this dish. However, I skipped it to suit my palette. 

• 1 medium size bottle gourd (lauki), sliced finely
• 1/2 cup prawns, cleaned & deveined
• 2-3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1-2 bay leaves 
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ghee 
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the prawns till they change colour. Drain and keep aside. Heat the remaining oil and temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. Sauté for a few seconds 

          Then add the onions. Stir fry till light brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and red chili powder mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates from the sides of the pan.

          Add the bottle gourd, green chilies and salt. Cover and cook on a low flame. Water can be sprinkled if necessary and stir at intervals.

          When the bottle gourd turns soft, add the tomatoes and the fried prawns. Continue to cook, covered till done. Add coriander leaves and ghee and give it a stir. Serve with rice or chapatti. 

                      Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan & fry the prawns till they change colour. Drain 

                      and keep aside. 

                   Heat the remaining oil & temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, 

                   cloves and cardamoms. Sauté for a few seconds.

                                  Add the onions. Stir fry till light brown.

                   Add ginger-garlic paste, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam

                   masala powder & red chili powder mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil 

                   separates from the sides of the pan.

                     Add the bottle gourd, green chilies & salt. Cover and cook on a low flame. 

                     Water can be sprinkled if necessary and stir at intervals.

                     When the bottle gourd turns soft, add the tomatoes and the fried prawns. 

                     Continue to cook, covered till done. 

                                  Add coriander leaves & ghee and give it a stir.

                                 Serve with rice or chapatti. 

Lau Chingri Chechki (Bottle Gourd Curry with Prawns)

          This is a simple and a quick Bengali homemade style bottle gourd stir fry cooked along with some prawns. It is a dry recipe where I gave a tempering of kalonji (nigella seeds), fresh chilies and asafoetida in mustard oil. For a veg. version, vadi / dried lentil dumplings can be added.

          The garnishing of some raw mustard oil to the end product gives a nice mustardy flavour and an authentic touch to this dish. I also added some fresh coriander leaves, but it is purely optional. It is best relished with only and only hot steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          Lau in the Bengali lingo is bottle gourd and Chingri is know as prawn. So this recipe is a jugalbandi of both these two key ingredients. 

          This is a very easy and a great comfort food that is especially relished for lunch with hot steamed rice. But there is no harm in having it with roti /paratha. So enjoy !!!

• 1 medium size bottle gourd, grated
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 10-12 prawns, cleaned & tail intact
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 2-3 green chilies, slit 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

          

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the prawns slightly till it changes colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with nigella seeds, green chilies and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add all the dry spices, followed by the grated bottle gourd. Mix well and stir fry till well cooked and dry.

          When done, switch off the flame. Add the coriander leaves, fried prawns and remaining raw mustard oil. Give it a stir and keep it covered for 5 minutes. Serve, preferably with hot steamed rice.

                          Heat 2 tbsp. oil & fry prawns slightly till it changes colour. Drain 
                          and keep aside. 

                  Temper same oil with nigella seeds, green chilies & asafoetida. Sauté for
                  a few seconds.

                                  Add all dry spices, 

                   followed by grated bottle gourd. Mix well & sauté till well cooked & dry.

                    When done, switch off the flame. Add coriander leaves, fried prawns &                                              remaining raw mustard oil. 

                                 Give it a stir & keep it covered for 5 minutes.

                                Serve, preferably with hot steamed rice.

Lauki Bharta (Mashed Bottle Gourd Curry)

          Bharta is a very popular Punjabi cuisine that is generally prepared with eggplant. Bharta literally translates to mashed, where the eggplant is roasted on an open fire and then mashed before it is made into a curry. 

          So here is a nice twist to the original baingan bharta. This is equally a yummy bharta made of lauki (bottle gourd). This side dish goes well with chapati, hot steamed rice or jeera rice for a simple homemade healthy meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          Lauki or Bottle Gourd is a very healthy veggie as it has a lot of water content. It is generally not a much preferred veggie. So give a twist to it and make a bharta out of it. It will be finished in no time. A nice way to treat fussy kids and adults too. 

• 1 medium size bottle gourd, sliced 
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste 
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Steam the sliced bottle gourd for 10 minutes or till it turns soft. Blend coarsely and keep aside. 

          Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add onion and stir fry till light brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears. 

          Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté till it is nicely mashed. Now it is the time to add all the dry spices. Give it a stir.

          Add the bottle gourd and mix everything well. Sauté for 3-4 minutes on a low flame. 

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with rice or chapatis. 

                       Steam sliced bottle gourd for 10 minutes or till it turns soft. 

                      Blend coarsely and keep aside. 

                      Heat oil & ghee in a pan. Temper with cumin seeds & asafoetida. 

                       Add onion and stir fry till light brown. 

                      Add ginger-garlic paste & sauté till raw smell disappears. 

                       Add tomatoes & continue to sauté till it is nicely mashed. 

                        Add all the dry spices & give it a stir.

                      Add bottle gourd & mix everything well. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

                       Garnish with coriander leaves. 

                  Serve as a side dish with rice or chapatis.