Lauki Tamatar ki Mazedaar Sabzi

What makes this dish special

This Lauki Tamatar ki Mazedaar Sabzi is a healthy and flavorful Indian dish that transforms the humble bottle gourd into a culinary delight. Often overlooked, bottle gourd, or lauki, is elevated with a rich tomato and onion base, infused with aromatic spices. The dish is quick to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights. The secret lies in using a tender lauki with unripe seeds, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and a blend of dry spices creates a symphony of flavors that will surprise and delight even those who are not fans of lauki. This sabzi is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed with steamed rice, jeera rice, roti, paratha, or naan.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Lauki (Bottle Gourd): 500g, finely chopped
• Onion: 1 cup, finely chopped
• Tomatoes: 1 cup, finely chopped
• Tomato Puree: 1 Tbsp
• Oil: 2 Tbsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
• Salt: to taste
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
• Haldi (Turmeric): ½ tsp
• Garam Masala: ½ tsp
• Chopped Coriander: 1 Tbsp
• Chopped Garlic: 1 tsp
• Grated Ginger: 1 tsp
• Chopped Green Chilies: 1 tsp
• Water: ½ cup

Instructions:

1. In a pressure cooker, add oil. Once hot, add the jeera.
2. When the jeera crackles, add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies along with the onion.
3. When the onion turns light brown, add the tomatoes.
4. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add the tomato puree, all dry spices, and 2 Tbsp of water. Mix well.
5. Add the lauki and ¼ cup of water along with half the chopped coriander.
6. Put the lid on the pressure cooker. Turn the flame to high.
7. Once it whistles, turn the flame to low and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Turn the flame off.
9. Once the steam escapes, open the lid, mash gently with a ladle, and serve hot garnished with coriander.

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