Lauki is a delicious traditional bottle gourd curry. This North Indian curry recipe features perfectly cooked bottle gourd in a savory onion tomato base with a gentle blend of aromatics. Making it in the Instant Pot lets you and your family enjoy this nutritious recipe any night of the week.
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What is Lauki?
Lauki is a super food, healthy, easy meal. It is perfect for weeknight dinners or times when you don’t have much energy to cook. This is rich in dietary fiber both soluble and insoluble and hence a great ingredient for weight-loss diet. It consists of 96% water. It’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
You may see lauki called bottle gourd in English, but it has many names. You might also know it as dudhi, ghiya, or sorakaya in India.
Bottle gourd is very popular during the warmer months. It is easy on the stomach and aids in digestion, which makes it a good choice for people who are not feeling well.
How to pick the best bottle gourd?
When you are buying bottle gourd, you should both look at and feel the outside of the gourd. It should be firm all around and a light or pale green color. It should also be slender and feel light in weight. If it is mushy or has brown spots or browning, it is no longer good.
Reasons to make this recipe in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot makes putting together this bottle gourd curry fast and easy with a cook time of less than 10 minutes. Plus the pressure cooker turns this into a one pot meal that makes cleanup fast and easy. Better yet? It yields consistent, delicious results each and every time you make it.
New to the Instant Pot and nervous about all those buttons? Don’t be. Our guide to Instant Pot cooking, called Is the Instant Pot Worth It, breaks down everything you need to know to get you using your pressure cooker like a pro.
How to cut Lauki / bottle gourd?
- Slice of the ends To start, wash the gourd and use a sharp knife to remove the stem at both ends.
- Peel - Next, use a sharp knife or peeler to remove the skin from the lauki.
- Cut into half - Once the skin is removed, Make the bottle gourd stand upright (to avoid slipping while cutting along the round side) on the board and cut it into half and the quarters lengthwise
- Cut it- into roughly ½ inch pieces.
- You can also remove any large seeds as you are cutting the pieces.
How to make the best Bottle Gourd?
Bottle gourd is very easy to make.
- Peel and cut the bottle gourd , press SAUTE mode on the Instant Pot. Once the inner pot is hot, add the ghee or oil and the cumin seeds. Allow them to cook for a minute. They will splutter around in the ghee or oil.
- Once the cumin is starting to crack and is fragrant, add in the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Next, add in the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, and bottle gourd pieces and mix them together well.
- Make sure you scrape any spices or onions and tomatoes from the bottom of the inner pot. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING. Cancel saute mode and then use MANUAL PRESSURE COOK on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, do a quick release to remove the pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid to the Instant Pot. Garnish the lauki with cilantro and black pepper powder and mix it well.
- Serve hot with rice or roti and Dal tadka . Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Wash the lauki first and then cut off each end to remove the stems before peeling.
- Avoid bottle gourds that are soft or not a pale green in color.
- Cut the bottle gourd into four lengthwise strips before cutting into cubes, this makes it easier to remove large seeds and cut the gourd into roughly equal sizes.
- You can use a knife or a peeler to remove the skin from the gourd, but I find a peeler is often easier to work with.
Why is Lauki / Bottle Gourd healthy?
Lauki is a light tasting gourd that is easy to digest. It is great for people who are not feeling well or are recovering from a stomach bug because it can help reduce symptoms from too much acid in the stomach. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and zinc. Because it's so rich in vitamins and minerals, new moms in India often eat it within the first 40 days of having a baby to help with recovery and restoring all the lost nutrients.
Is Lauki good for weight loss?
The gourd is full of fiber. Fiber has many benefits, including helping you feel fuller for longer. The longer you feel satisfied, the less tempted you’ll be to eat more, which can help you lose weight if that is your goal.
What do I serve Lauki with?
This recipe goes well over plan rice. Rice helps soak up some of the extra sauce and flavors. It also pairs well with roti or Indian flat bread. You can use the bread to soak up extra moisture and clean your bowl out.
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Lauki Sabzi Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1- ½ cup
- Diet: LowFatDiet
Description
Lauki is a delicious traditional bottle gourd curry. This North Indian curry recipe features perfectly cooked bottle gourd in a savory onion tomato base with a gentle blend of aromatics. Making it in the Instant Pot lets you and your family enjoy this nutritious recipe any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 medium size lauki (bottle gourd) ,peeled and chopped about ½ inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1 /2 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green chills / chopped
- 1 medium onion /chopped
- 1 large tomato / chopped
- 2 tablespoon water
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- handful cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Wash the Bottle Gourd and peel the skin and cut into ½ inch pieces
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. when hot ,add oil or ghee in the inner pot .
- Add cumin seeds ,let them splutter.
- Add in the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes .
- Next add tomatoes ,salt, turmeric powder and lauki/bottle gourd pieces and mix well. pour in the water and make sure to scrap of any spice if sticking to the pot.
- Close the lid , and turn valve from VENTING to SEALING position.
- Press CANCEL button on Instant Pot.
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set timer to 5 MINUTES.
- When done ,Do a QUICK RELEASE
- Open the lid . Garnish with chopped cilantro and sprinkle some black pepper powder and mix well.
- Lauki Ki Sabji/Bottle Gourd Curry is ready, serve with hot with roti & Dal
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
About Soniya
Hello, I am Soniya, the cofounder of The Belly Rules The Mind. Originally from Mumbai, India, I am settled in Virginia US with my husband.
I am a mother of 2 energetic boys, referred to as R2 (15-year-old) and R3 (10-year-old) on the blog. In case you are wondering who is R1, well that is my husband.
My hubby and I were born in Mumbai, India, where we were spoiled by the wealth of food choices available to us. We could enjoy everything from yummy street food to multi-cuisine restaurants and we became very picky about what we like and what we don't. Come join us on our journey to have "The Belly Rule The Mind"
