Lauki Tamatar Ki Subzi

Mildly spice bottle gourd and tomato curry
Lauki /Bottle gourd is a summer special vegetable. It has excellent health and nutritional benefits and is very low in calories. Lauki is considered among the top recommended vegetables in Ayurveda as it is very quick and easy to digest so this is very good for sick and weak patients,you can give the boiled bottle gourd puree to small kids also .As it is very mild and blend in taste so you can do so many variation and experiments with this humble vegetable.It is also a low budget and very easily available vegetable so can be easily used and made regularly.
I usually mix it with lentils and make Chana daal and lauki ki subzi ,  Lauki ka kofta and Lauki ka raita ,not only curries but sweets and desserts can also be made with lauki ,I have posted the recipe of making healthy and easy -Lauki ki kheer and Lauki ka halwa.
When you go to buy bottle gourd try to choose a small or medium size firm bottle gourd with bright and shiny green colour, as big sized lauki may be over riped and mature and have hard peel and thick seeds which didn't taste good and take much time to cook.A simple trick which I learned from my mother is to lightly press your nail in the bottle gourd peel, if it is tender and fresh then your nail will very easily pierce the bottle gourd but if you cant press easily then it is surely over ripe and hard so avoid buying such type of bottle gourd.
Every one in my family likes lauki so I make it often. Lauki taste great with mild and fresh herbs so you don't need to add too much spices and oil  in bottle gourd curry.  This mildly spiced tomato and lauki ki subzi is a favorite of everyone .I have used fresh spice to make this curry,Tomatoes gives a very nice and fresh tangy taste to this curry.You can also add a small potato in the curry if you wish.but don't add too many powdered spices.


Prep time -10 min
Cooking time -10 min
Difficulty level - easy
Spice level - mild
Cuisine - North Indian
Type -side,main
INGREDIENTS-

• Bottle gourd /lauki /gheeya- 550 gms
• Tomato/tamatar, chopped -200 gm (2 medium)
• Green chili /hari mirch , chopped- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder /haldi - 1/2 tsp
• Salt /namak- 1 tsp
• Sugar /chini- 1/3 tsp
• Ghee or cooking oil- 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds /jeera- 1tsp
• Asafoetida /hing- 1/3 tsp
• Fresh coriander/dhaniya - 1.5 tbsp

PROCEDURE-

1. Peel bottle gourd and chop in medium size pieces.
2. Heat ghee or oil in the pressure cooker.
3. When ghee become warm then add cumin seeds.
4. When seeds start crackling add chopped green chilies and asafoetida.
5. Now add chopped tomato and salt.
6. Stir fry for few seconds.
7. Add turmeric and chopped bottle gourd in the cooker.
8. Add 1 cup of water in the vegetables and mix.
9. Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook on medium heat .
10. Cook for about 3-4 whistles or till it cooks completely.
11. When cool down completely then open the cooker and mix sugar,lemon juice and chopped coriander.
12. Mix and serve with a spoon of ghee on top.(optional)

Serving suggestions- Taste best with hot and fresh chapatis or parathas.
NOTE-

1. Choose fresh and tender bottle gourd ,hard bottle gourd take much time to cook and didn't taste very good.
2. Make sure to remove all the hard and thick seeds of bottle gourd, but no need to remove the small tender seeds.
3. You can add some more water if you want to make it with thin gravy.
4. You can also add a piece of potato if you like.
5. Can use ghee or oil in the tempering but ghee taste best in bottle gourd curry.