4 Interesting Ways to Prepare Lauki!

There are some who shudder at its very mention and some who rave about its many benefits. Whether you hate it or love it, lauki or bottle gourd remains a hot topic of debate in most Indian households. One of the greatest challenges mums everywhere face is making nutritious summer gourd part of their family’s diet. Today, we bring you a few interesting recipes that will end all disputes! Here are four delicious ways to prepare lauki.

1. Lauki Choco Chip Kulfi

Ingredients:

• 250 gm Bottle Gourd
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 litre Milk
• 4 tbsp Dark Choco Chips
• 4 tbsp Mixed Slivered Dryfuits

Cooking Steps:

1. In a pan, boil 1 litre of milk till it reduces to 3/4th, now add grated Lauki or bottle gourd and mix well till milk mixture further reduces to half.
2. Add sugar and keep stirring for 5-10 mins. Switch off the flame and cool the mixture completely
3. Pour the milk mixture into Kulfi moulds and freeze it for 6 to 8 hours.

Note: Before pouring the milk in the kulfi moulds first add slivered dry fruits and choco chips and then pour the milk till 80% full. Now add more choco chips and slivered dry fruits, seal it tightly and freeze this. Once ready, serve chilled either with a wooden stick hold or in cut pieces.

2. Lauki ki Barfi

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Bottle Gourd
• 4 tablespoon Ghee
• 50 ml Condensed Milk
• 4 tablespoon Honey
• 1 pinch of Cardamom Powder
• 50 gm Dry Fruits

Cooking Steps:

1. Wash, cut and roughly chop the bottle guard into pieces and grind it well.
2. Do not use water while grinding. Squeeze it well to remove the water from it.
3. Now add about 3-4 spoons of ghee to a pan and roast the squeezed lauki well.
4. To this, add khoya or condensed milk and let it boil well till all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Add about 3-4 spoons of honey to make it sweet and a pinch of cardamom for flavour. Allow this to simmer.
6. Transfer it to a plate and garnish it with finely chopped dry fruits.
7. Let it freeze in the refrigerator and then cut it into small squares.

3. Lauki ka Paratha

Ingredients:

• 300 gm Bottle Gourd
• 2 medium Green Chilli
• 0.5 cup Oil
• 0.25 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 0.25 tsp Jeera
• 0.5 tsp Saunf
• 1 pinch of Hing
• 0.5 tsp Coriander Powder
• 0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 0.25 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tsp Besan
• 1.5 cup Wheat Flour
• Salt

Cooking Steps

1. Wash, peel and grate the bottle gourd. Finely chop green chilli and set it aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
3. Add green chilli, jeera, saunf, hing, coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix it well.
4. Add grated lauki and mix it well. Allow it to cook for a minute or two.
5. Add garam masala and salt to it. Mix it well.
6. Cook while mixing till the oil is released from the mixture.
7. Add besan to absorb the remaining moisture and oil. Cook it for 3-5 minutes.
8. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature.
9. Prepare the dough from the wheat flour with medium softness.
10. Divide the dough and the stuffing into six portions. Take each dough and roll it into a sheet, place the stuffing at the centre and seal it.
11. Using dry wheat flour, roll out the dough ball with the stuffing well. Roll out all the dough balls with the stuffing inside.
12. Heat tawa and place a paratha on it. Apply oil on the upper side and flip the paratha.
13. Flip again apply oil on the dry side and cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve it hot with mint-coriander chutney and curd.

4. Healthy Lauki Muthiya

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bottle Gourd
• 1 cup Wheat Flour
• 1 cup Gram Flour
• 0.5 cup Millet Flour
• 2 medium Green Chillies
• 0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Sugar
• 5 tsp Till
• 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds

Cooking Steps

1. Take a cup of bottle gourd and chop it into fine pieces. Boil it in a vessel, strain the water and keep it aside. Extract out excess moisture from the grated bottle gourd.
2. Chop green chillies into fine pieces as well.
3. Take a bowl, add all the mentioned flour, bottle gourd and green chillies. Knead it with water, to form a dough.
4. Form sausage-shaped rolls from the dough.
5. Cover the rolls in sesame seeds and place all the rolls in a greased microwave-safe container.
6. Cover the container with a lid and microwave the rolls for 3 minutes.
7. Slice the steamed rolls.
8. Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add sesame seeds, once splutter, add curry leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
9. Place the muthiya in it and fry it for about 3-5 minutes on both sides.
10. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

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