Dahi wali Lauki / Bottle gourd in a light curd based gravy

 Summer is on us with full force. And quite suddenly too.
Just as we were gearing up for spring, the days started to get hotter. It is just a phase, we said. Will be gone in a couple of days. Others agreed. A few looked up at the sky and mentioned it has been cloudy for a while. It will cool down as soon as the clouds cleared, they said.
Only, there were no clouds.
The sun only became angrier with days. Holi saw a scorching day ... the little children had to call it quits much before afternoon had set in.
The heat spread out in a haze and worsened as the day went by.
By ten o'clock in the morning, it is so hot these days that I fear to step out into the balcony to hang out clothes to dry.
Our little luxury of eating breakfast in the little balcony has been mercilessly taken away from us. Now all I can do is sip my cup of tea in the morning cool, water the plants, fill the brid bowls and bath and get inside as soon as I can.
I miss watching the trees all around in the morning sun .... shining in their  new leaves. It is still spring for them and they will have to go through their normal changes as nature has directed them to. They cannot hurry and keep up with global warming.

This morning, as I sat in my swing with my cup of tea, I looked out as usual, the vision skimming the top of the hugest trees ans settled on the eucalyptus afar. There was an eagle sitting at the top, calling out in its high pitched whistle, that started from a low note and ended on a shrill high.
Two crows came by for a drink of water, but seeing me flew away.
I know they will wait on a nearby branch and be back as soon as I leave ... so I don't feel guilty.
And as I sat there, in the cool early morning breeze, I saw a rush of yellow pass by from my right, and fly on in my line of vision.

And I was back in Dadu's house, in an instant. 

A little girl of around eight or nine, standing on the low sill of the welded wrought iron window frame of the huge French windows of the drawing room on the upper floor, clutching on to a few other to stop from falling, looking earnestly out, as if searching for something.
Her eyes scanned the scene outside .... the dark, deep pond ... with its chairs of red cement on the ghaat,  gleaming in the strong sun, the Bok phool tree that bent over into the waters instead of standing up straight, the bamboo grove beyond it, the coconut grove on the left  and the mango orchard on the right.

"Ora shob shomoye aam gaache thake. Ora khub shy tai lukiye thaake. Oder ke dekhte pawa khub lucky!"
That is what Didi had said once.
So she keeps her eyes on the mango trees, where they stay hidden as they are very shy ... as Didi had said. But could not sight even one.
It has been a long while and she could feel the heat from outside on her face. Soon the house helps would come by to shut all the windows before noon set in. She desparately wanted a glimpse of the bird before they came. Or she will have to wait for evening or the next day again.
And then, just as she was about to give up, she saw a splash of yellow dart by and disappear into the nearest mango tree.
It might come out again to fly to the other trees.
Her eyes lit up, she broke into a smile and turned around and ran through the door to the top of the stairs.
"Didi! Diidiiiii!!!", she shouted from there.  "I saw it!! I saw the Holud Bosonto pakhi!! Come.  quick!!"
She had to show it to Didi too.
She could not think of enjoying anything without sharing it with her only Didi, even if it meant the rest of the brood of cousins rushing in too.
If she were to be lucky by sighting the shy, evasive bird, Didi had to see it too. Didi had to be lucky too. After all her exams were around.
"Diiiidiiiiii", she cried desperately.
And Didi came.
Just as she always did whenever that little girl called.

But not now.
Not anymore.
Not even when her favourite cousin, 'the not so little anymore' girl looks up at the sky and calls out "Didi!"

Do the people who turn into stars hear us call out to them?
Do they come down to us?
Do they give us a little pat of assurance and we still don't get to know it?

 Today's recipe is a light dish that will keep you cool as well as full.
And healthy too.
Perfect for this scorching summer.

Need :

Lauki / Lau / Bottle gourd - 1 big sized, cut into small cubes
Curd - 2 cups
Besan / Bengal gram flour - 1 tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli [powder - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch (use crushed compound form )
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Water - around 4 cups
Salt - to taste

How To :

Make a mix of the curd + besan + a little haldi powder + red chilli powder + salt + water.
It should be of runny consistency but not too diluted. 

Heat the oil in a kadahi / deep wok.
Add hing + jeera.

Add the chopped lauki and stir fry on low heat for a while.

Add haldi + salt + red chilli powder.

Fry well, cover and cook till lauki is done.


Remove cover and add the dhaniya powder.
Mix well.

Now add the curd mix, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves, switch off heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Serve warm or cool.

This goes very well with both rice as well as rotis.

Stay cool with light, healthy food.
And enjoy summer!!

Ps: Here are a few more dishes made with the Lauki or Lau to keep you cool this summer.

Lauki aur Chana dal ki sabzi or Cholar dal diye Lau

I am back from a longish vacation ... or a break, rather .... and ready to make new posts.
B had a business meeting with his team that had come all the way from the US, in Bangalore. And insisted I tag along.
I wasn't too sure at first. But the thought of spending a full week all alone got to me.
Earlier I was never this wimpy kind. But the experiences of the last few months still have not let go of me altogether and I do have difficulties facing some days in whole and others, in part.
Evenings are especially disturbing.

So, I tagged along ... the cost of an extra person in a five star notwithstanding.
And I am so glad I did.
This break did me wonders.
Not only did I get to spend time on my own, with nothing looming in the horizon, but also I got to meet some very fabulous people too.

The people from B's team are wonderful. While I had known about them all the while, I could now put faces and characters to those names finally.
Spent some wonderful evenings with them, after they returned from a hard day's work in this sweltering B'lore heat.

I also got to meet some good friends that I had made while we were staying in Bangalore a few years back. When I was leaving Bangalore the last time, I was very ill. And some of them had helped us in every possible way.
I was so glad I could go back and thank them personally.

The bonus was getting to meet my childhood friend after a good 15 years or more.
She had got her daughter along too and it was wonderful catching up with her over an extended lunch of more than 3 hours , about all the time that has passed by and all that has happened in our lives.
Both were surprised at the other's change.
She, the ever delicate and sheltered girl, is now a full fledged business woman, handling her Dad's industry smoothly.And bringing up a child too. But she is just as quiet as she was earlier.
I, on the other hand, have changed and am more talkative and opinionated now.
Not as delicate as before and yes, I have learnt to cross the road and buy stuff from shops on my own.
It was time well spent, laughing at our sheltered childhood.

Another thing that I did was spend some good time, and money of course, at an ayurvedic spa.
Also, I had taken my crochet along. Spend a few lazy afternoons knitting and watching the tv, when it was a roaring 41 degrees outside.

And the cherry on this wonderful cake was getting to buy a bunch of Pui shaak ( the Malabar spinach ) before I left Bangalore.
It is my favourite leafy green and very unfortunately do not get it in Pune. But I knew where I could buy this in Bangalore and had kept the morning of our last day for this.
Since the team had already left, B had that one day for me ... or half the day as we flew back in the evening. So booked a cab, went all the way to HAL market and bought two huge bunches of this glorious green.

So when B's manager said they were glad I had come along and I replied that I was glad too, I knew I was speaking the truth and from my heart. 
This trip has been the best ever, in a very long time.

Now to today's recipe.
I cook the Lauki or the Lau or the bottle gourd with the Chana dal or the Bengal gram in numerous ways.
At times I cook it with the Masoor dal too, in the liquid form. And at times I cook it in the dryish form too.
But my favourite is the slightly dryish variety that can be eaten with both rotis as well as rice.
The Chana dal, when not very cooked and mushy, is great for this kind of dishes.
Well cooked but still retaining its form, it complements the lauki pieces well.

I also cook this combination in two different ways and more. Sometimes the Bengali way, with the Paanch phoron or the Radhuni as the tempering. And the Rajasthani or the North Indian way at other times, with jeera and sometimes hing as the tempering.
And then there are the versions using onion, onion + ginger or even with garlic.
Whatever way, it is one of our favourite vegetarian dishes.

Ingredients needed to cook Chana dal with Lauki :

Chana dal / Bengal gram - 1 cup
Lauki / Lau / Bottle gourd - 1 medium, diced into medium pieces
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Mirchi / Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1½  tbsp
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Fresh corainder leaves - chopped
Salt - to taste
Water - to cook the dal
Chilli flakes ( optional )
Lemon - cut into half

How to cook :

Cook the chana dal with 1 tsp haldi + salt + 5 cups of water for 2 whistles on low heat. 
The dal should be just done and not mushy.
Remove and cool.

Heat oil in a kadahi.

Add the jeera + hing.
Add the lauki pieces and toss on medium high heat for a good while.
Add haldi + salt.
Cover and cook till almost done.

Remove cover and add the dal.
Check seasoning. Adjust water.

Cover and boil for some more time.

Remove cover and add dhaniya powder + red chilli powder.
Cover and simmer.

Remove cover, add dhaniya leaves, chilli flakes and  freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Switch off heat and cover and let it stand for five minutes.
I add chopped dhaniya stems too.

Keep the consistency as you wish.

Enjoy with roti or rice.

Lauki with Kala Chana or Chola ar narkel diye Lau or a Sundal

It isn't often that I hurry to make a post on something that I have cooked the same day or the day before. Since I post what I cook for that day's lunch or dinner, I try to click photos quickly, before we finish off the food. Or, in my case, natural daylight disappears.
I then let the photos rest in a folder, waiting for me to get some time out, edit and make a post.
Which is not happening regularly these days. I mean, not the cooking part, but the clicking part.

But this particular dish turned out to be so beautiful that I could not resist posting this almost immediately ... ignoring all the other recipes sitting in my folder.

The days have turned very hot all of a sudden, and it is not even the end of March. The temperature soared to 39 degrees and stayed there for the last two days ... thumbing its nose at us.
We, on our part, went through the rituals of the day huffing and puffing. Pune's dry climate, when combined with heat, can be deadly.
Too much of dehydration, lethargy. The skin starts to dry and burn, even if you are indoors.

And cooking on such days, and eating, seems like punishment.
While my cooking is always on the lighter side, I am at my wits end to make it even more lighter.

These days I soak a lot of things and keep them handy. Like brown chickpeas, kabuli chana, green moong dal, rajma, etc.
All I need is to soak them overnight and store them in the fridge.
Sometimes I let them sprout a little too.
And just munch on them when hungry. Or throw in a couple of other things like cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. and make a salad.
The rajma I keep boiled. Makes for a great salad too.

It was one such day when I stood in the kitchen that seemed like an oven at 10 in the morning.
And wondered what to make for lunch.
B had been asking for sambar chawal for a while now. Looked into the freezer  and found some frozen toor dal ( boiled).
And my menu was set.
Grabbed a bunch of vegetables and threw everything together to make a sambar ( I intend to make a post on that too ... some day ).

And then spied half a lauki or bottle gourd in the corner of the vegetable tray in the fridge. Since the Bengali in me cannot have just dal chawal and has to have something on the side ... always, I grabbed the lauki, brought out some soaked and boiled kala chana and tossed them together to make a light side dish.
The tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves and some grated coconut ( yes, I grate and freeze coconut too ) gave it a South Indian flavour.
Went perfect with my sambar and rice.

The best thing that makes it light and a perfect summer dish is the fact that this is cooked with no oil.
And very little oil is used just for the tempering. Easy on the tummy in these hot days of summer.
Here is how I made it.

Ingredients for Chola ar Narkel diye Lau :

Lau / Bottle Gourd / Lauki - 2 cups, chopped into small pieces
Kala chana / Black Chickpeas / Kalo Chola - 1 cup, soaked and boiled with a little salt
Grated coconut -  ½ cup
Whole Red Chillies - 2, broken
Mustard seeds or Shorshe dana - 1 tsp
Fresh curry leaves - 7 to 8
Cooking oil - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to cook :

Grind the coconut into a rough paste ( you can use it as is too, but grinding brings out the flavours and the sweetness ).

In a heavy kadahi put in the chopped lauki + boiled chana + coconut + haldi + salt and enough water to cook the lauki.
Cover and cook till the lauki is done.

In another kadahi, heat oil.

Add curry leaves + mustard seeds + whole red chillies.

Add the cooked lauki and simmer till desired consistency.

Check for salt.
Add a pinch sugar too.

Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Remove cover and serve hot or cool.

This was our lunch plate. Light and easy.
I had fried some sabudana papadams too.

C'ya all around, folks!

Don't let summer get hold of you.
Drink lots of cooling fluids and stay cool and calm.

And do check out my coolers for summer here.  

Kalo Jeere bata ar Lau diye Ilisher Matha / Hilsa cooked with Bottle gourd

( Vegetarians can enjoy this dish too. Just ignore the adding of the fish part in the recipe and serve with chopped fresh coriander leaves.)

I had started food blogging with no particular aim ... not even of keeping my recipes for myself. And with time got hooked to it. The more friends I made, the more people visited my blog, the more I got mails ... the more the addiction.

But I cannot overlook the fact that my blogging has been marred with breaks and has me thinking if it is jinxed for me. I am not superstitious ...
 still cannot make out why the moment I do a few posts, I have to take a break ...
that are turning longer by the time ...
with health related issues.

I am not ready to turn superstitious just yet ... but do wonder if having a havan done for Kichu Khon or chanting of a few mantras would let me do my favourite thing in peace ..
... i.e. cook and share it with you all.

And since I have not yet found the answer,
I am thinking of at least hanging a string of nimbu mirchi from my nose when
I sit down to make a post.  :-)

Am slowly getting back my kitchen to myself.
And was waiting for a taste of this year's Ilish/Hilsa.
Since I have been traveling a lot in the recent past, I did not get the chance of having ilish
even once this season.
So when my fishwala called, I rushed and bought a good 1.5 kg 'Kalkatta ka Ilish'.
Ilsih from Calcutta means Ganga's Ilsih ...
which is said to be tastier than the other varieties.

The fish was good.
Not too small ... too small sized Ilish has too many bones ... thin as threads ... and very difficult to deal with.
Not too big ... too big and with too much roe fish does not taste as good.

And after relishing the plain Ilish Bhaja, Patla Jhol, Ambol, and Chanchra,
I still had a few pieces and part head left.
Wanted something different, so called out to my FB friends for a recipe.

Sudeshna suggested making it with Lau / Lauki / the Bottle gourd
after coming to know of the few vegetables I had in my fridge.

Thanks Sudeshna for the quick suggestion!

 I'd been watching a lot of cookery shows the past few months and all the Bengali channels had Ilish as the main ingredient ever since the monsoons started.
And I kept track of all the recipes.

Since the Ilish is such a flavourful fish, too many masalas are not needed.
Just a variation in the tempering and you will get a wonderful dish!

So here is a new dish that I made with the Ilisher matha.
It was so good I did not need anything else to go with my plate of steaming hot rice!
I believe this will make a wonderful dish on the side if you are planning
a traditional Bengali meal or feast.

Here's is how I made it.

Need :  One Ilish / Hilsa head - medium sized

( marinate with some salt and turmeric powder ... no need to keep for longer than 10 mins )

Mustard oil - around 6 tbsp

Kalo Jeere / Kalaunji - around 4 tbsp

Kalo Morich / Black Pepper - 1 tbsp

Lau / Lauki - 1 medium sized

Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - 3

Haldi / Turmeric powder - a pinch ( not more )

Salt - to taste

Sugar - to taste - 1 small pinch

How to :

Peel and chop the Lau into small sized pieces.

Grind the Kalo Jeere and the Black Pepper seperately in the mixer ... without water.

( I just ran the Kalaunji twice  but made a finer powder of the black pepper ).

Heat the mustard oil in a kadahi / wok.

Fry the fish head well on all sides ... cover after letting in  and when turning ... splutters real bad.

Do not over fry or brown it too much.

Remove and lightly break it into pieces ... usually pressing it down with a strong ladle helps it to break into proper sized pieces. 

Heat a little more oil in a fresh kadahi

( usually the same oil is used but if the oil gets burnt or there is too much turmeric when frying the head, it affects the taste ).

Break the green chillies into half and add them to the oil.

Next, add the chopped lau and toss well.

Now add the grated ginger, a little turmeric, sugar and salt.

Cover and cook till the lau is almost done.

Remove cover and add the ground Kalo jeere / Kalaunji.

Cover again and cook for 5 mins. This helps in the flavours to seep in.

Now remove cover and add the fish head and replace cover.
Do check if there is enough moisture or add a little water if needed.

Cook for 10 more minutes.

Remove the cover, sprinkle the ground black pepper and give a good stir.

Replace cover and remove from heat.

Serve with hot steamed rice and a dal on the side.

This dish turned out to be one of my best experiments so far!

It is so different that I'd encourage vegetarians to try making the Lauki this way once.

Enjoy!

Other Ilish Recipes on Kichu Khon

Baked Shorse Ilish 

Ilisher Matha diye Ambol

Ilisher Dim diye Ambol

Ilish Maach Bhaja

Ilisher Chenchra 

Ilisher Dim Makha

Ilisher Patla Jhol

Lau diye Mushur Dal / Bottle gourd cooked with Red lentils

My blog is slowly turning into more of a bird zoo.
And my life is turning more haphazard, out of tune and out of my hands than I ever wanted it to be.

Nose deep into work, maid absconding ... so nose deep into house work too , DH down with the sniffles now ... read needs more attention than an infant ... , beautiful weather mocking, ... so all I do now is crib, work, crib, crib, work, crib, crib .... .

And on the top of it, the little fellows on my balcony are driving me insane.

This morning started with screeches of alarm from Mr. & Mrs. Shalik. Hurriedly step out into the balcony.
This sight greeted me.

Ever since the birds made their home here, I have dreaded this day. It had fallen from the nest that is about 9 feet high, but was ok. A strong breeze kept blowing it away ... it desperately trying to hold on to the floor.

The parents keep screaming. DH puts on gloves ( they should not have the smell of human beings on them ) and picks it up.

Puts it back firmly in the nest with the rest of the babies.

Quiet and normal noises made by the birds assure us everything is fine.

Half an hour later screeching starts.
Baby is down again. This time not moving but breathing. Again put back.

Half an hour later baby down again.



Something is wrong. We try to think of possibilities. Maybe they are too crowded and the weakest is getting the boot. Maybe they have rejected it due to the smell of the rubber gloves.

Any other animal ... pups, kittens, anything else .... I would have confidently dealt with. But have no idea what to do with so small baby birds.

So called up Blue Cross Society. They directed us to the city zoo. Thankfully they took us seriously and sent us their volunteer nearest to our place of stay.

I was initially sceptical. But the way gentle and deft way the man dealt with the baby bird put my fears to rest.
He said the baby has an infection ... so is being rejected by the parents lest the others catch the same.

He treated and carried it away to the zoo where special doctors for birds will take care of it.

Phew!

This dal has been sitting in my drafts for a long time. A quick, healthy, light and simple dal, this is very good on the tummy ... especially if you have been ill and returning to normal food ... or if you want a light meal.

I use the tempering of Paanch Phoron here as I love the slightly achaari flavour it gives when paired with mustard oil and Mushur dal.

Need :
Musur dal / Masoor dal / Red lentils
Lau / Lauki / Bottle gourd - peeled and cut into small cubes
Paanch phoron ( a mix of mustard + fennel + fenugreek + cumin + nigella seeds )
Mustard oil - to temper
Haldi / Turmeric powder
Sliced onions
Whole dry red chillies
Salt to taste
Water to cook

How to :
Wash the dal and keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in a pressure cooker.
Add the Panch phoron and the dry chilles.

When they start to splutter add onion and fry for a while.

Now add the bottle gourd and stir for some time.

Then add the dal and keep stirring.
Then add the turmeric powder, salt and water.

Close cooker and cook for 2 whistles on low heat.

Remove cover when cooker has cooled.

Give the dal a stir ... check for seasoning.

If needed add some more water and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot.

Goes great with plain rice or rotis and a dry dish on the side.

Blogger is going bonkers. Many of you have not been able to leave comments.
I have not been able to view comments ... I see 5 comments and get to read 1 ... that way.
And I have no idea what's going on.
So please bear with me ... if not with Blogspot.

C' ya all soon folks !!

Chanaa Dal with Lauki / Lentils with Bottle Gourd

Recently , on FB, came across Plagiarism related to food blogs and was once again touched at how close knit a circle food bloggers are. ( Am no longer on FB ).

And this was just a couple of days after I helpfully instructed a new blogger on how one should not be copying text from other blogs ... it is always good to write your own stuff since you are anyway cooking the whole thing.

I was also prudent enough to mail her and not write anything publicly on her comment form ... she had been trying out my recipes but was picking up my whole text of the recipes.

I know most new bloggers have no idea of this thing and are indignant that they have no intention of 'stealing'. They do not realise a lot of things ... just assume that since something is available on the net ... it is for everybody.

They do not realise it is for everybody to see ... not to use.

So new blogger takes offence. Does not realise what would happen if somebody starts to make a hue and cry.
But I know ... if she sticks around for a while in the Food blogging world, she will soon learn.

Moving on, I'll rant some more. Do note ... this is not for you if you have left a line here even once.

This is for those who visit my blog numerous times a day ... well ... what do you think of 138 returning visits to one particular recipe? ... yet have never left a line.

I see people coming here ... moving from one page to another ... taking just enough time needed to read a post ... leaving through a number of posts, blogs and even widgets.
Yet ... not a line. Not a good word ... or for that matter am ready to take bad words too.
They come here with recipe as well as "Kichu Khon" or " Sharmila Kichu Khon" or "Sharmila food blog" etc. etc. searches ... and still do not leave a line.
Rude.

And if they get stuck somewhere ... they'll mail me. Why not write on my comment section? This is where I have posted ... other people will also benefit from your doubts. But no.

I guess they think since this is a free for all space, why bother giving a thought ( I seriously doubt if they are capable of thoughts too ) or go to the comment section and type out a few lines.
So I have decided to ignore all those irresponsible, lazy, free stuff hoggers.

Yes, am very angry.

Today's recipe has been sitting in the drafts ... notice the wonderful sunshine and shadows ... I must have clicked it sometime during winter. But don't know why never posted it.

There was a search for "Chana dal with Lauki" ... or was it " Lau diye Chana dal" ... on my blog recently. I felt bad that someone must have been disappointed.

So decided to post this first .... and then post the other delicacies that am making this monsoon. :-)

This is a very simple and quick to make dryish dish. The only time taken is by the Chana Dal to soak ... the rest can be done in a jiffy.

Need :

Chana Dal / Bengal gram lentils

Lauki / Bottle gourd - cut into small cubes

Onion - chopped into medium sized pieces

Garlic - chopped finely ( optional )

Tomatoes - chopped into medium sized pieces

Cooking oil

Jeera / Cumin seeds

Hing / Asafeotida

Haldi / Turmeric powder

Red chilli powder

Garam masala powder

Some Black Peppercorns

Salt to taste

Sugar - a small pinch

Water to cook

How to :

Soak the dal in enough water for around 3-4 hours. If you preplan ... then preferable over night.

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.

Add the jeera, peppercorns and the hing.

Add the chopped onions (and garlic, if using ) and fry till the onions lose the raw flavour.

Now add the dal, the lauki pieces, haldi and salt.

Stir fry well for a while.

Add water till it skims the surface.

Cover and cook till the dal and the lauki is done.

If needed, add a little water at a time.

Add the tomatoes and the chilli powder, cover and cook for some more time.

When done, add some garam masala, give a final stir and remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Goes great with hot rotis or parathas.

Have a great week all !!

Lauki ka Halwa / Sweet dish made with Bottle Gourd

Halwa is basically a sweet dish made either from grains, flours, vegetables or fruits along with milk or condensed milk and sugar as its main ingredients.

I was introduced to the Lauki ka halwa / Doodhi ka halwa ... after I got married. Before that I had no idea what else could be done with the humble lauki other than a curry / torkari or a raita. In fact I wasn't even interested in the vegetable ... and if it was made with shrimps, just picked out the shrimps from the dish and left it alone.



But later I was introduced to North Indian cuisine ... mainly Rajasthani cuisine. And Rajasthanis are known for their love for sweets as much as their love for savoury and deep fried things.

So there I was, just married, ... a Bengali who did not care for sweets at all ... having jalebis for breakfast, halwas at lunch and kheer at dinner.
I can't say if I had more sweets or more savouries then ... all kinds of kachoris and namkeen ... just to get rid of all that sweetness in my throat.



Anyway ... now I know how to make sweet dishes at home.

So when the call from home came on Holi , the question had to come too ... " So what did you make for Holi?"
We were having a very busy time during Holi ... in fact had almost forgotten about it ... leave alone to go the kitchen and cook up sweets.

I had glanced around ... body language you know ... when you are about to fib :-p .... and saw a lauki in the vegetable bowl .... so blurted out "Lauki ka Halwa".
There was a sound of smile in the further conversations and I was relieved.

So set about making the halwa ... can't stay a liar for long. :-)


I make this halwa like the way I make Gajar / Carrot ka Halwa. The best part is the Lauki does not take as much time to cook as the gajar ... so this is quicker ... well ... just a little quicker.



Need :
Lauki / Bottle gourd - 1 medium sized
Milk - around 2 cups ( whole cream milk works best ... but you can use skimmed milk too )
Sugar - around 10 tbsp ( you might need more ... depends on the amount of lauki ... so taste to adjust)
Elaichi / Green Cardamom - 2 whole and 3 powdered
Saffron - a few strands ( optional )
Ghee / Clarified butter - around 1 tbsp ( just enough to toss the lauki in )
Cashewnuts - as per your wish ... whole or broken

How to :

Heat the ghee in a deep pan or a wok / kadahi ... preferably non stick. Stir fry the cashewnuts for a while .... do not brown ... and remove.

In the same ghee, let in the whole elaichi. Then add the grated lauki and stir well.
( You can add a pinch or .... less than ... a pinch of salt ...actually very, very little ... so that the water drains out and the lauki cooks quickly).

Add the milk and let it boil. Remember to keep stirring to avoid it getting burnt at the bottom.

When the lauki is well done and the halwa turns thickish, add the cashewnuts, sugar and the elaichi powder.

It will release water. Let it cook till it has dried up well .... make sure the sides do not burn.



Serve hot or cold.
Enjoy !! :-)

Blogspot is acting crazy ... shows one comment waiting to be moderated ... and yet refuses to display it. This has been going on for the past two days and is driving me bonkers. :-(
Hope this does not go on for long.

Other Halwas on Kichu Khon
Gajar Ka Halwa / Carrot Halwa
Moong Dal Halwa

Lau er Raita / Lauki ka Raita / Bottlegourd with curd salad(?)

( Vegans can blend some silken tofu with a little lemon juice and salt and use in place of curd / yoghurt .... thanks Vaishali for the tip ). :-)

As a child, the vegetables part in my meals were disliked with a passion. And if it was the Lau / Lauki / Bottle gourd, well .... it would stay untouched. But I liked this cooling raita that was made during the summers. And it was always served cold. Maybe that's the reason I used to like it ... the summers back home can be real torturous ... so anything cold was always welcome.

This is a simple dish .... and as I later realised, very quick to make. The main flavours are of the curry leaves and mustard seeds tempering. And of course the cooling tang of curd / youghurt.

If you want it bland, it's fine. Want a little spice ... then add some whole dry red chillies or fresh green chillies ( I have used the former). And for extra flavour, throw in some finely chopped ginger.

It becomes even more quicker to make if you have steamed the lauki beforehand ( you can cook it in a steamer or run it in the MW with a little water and salt for 10 mins).
Even if you have not, I assure you this won't take too long to make.

When peeling the lauki, if you cut thickish peels, then you can make this simple yet wonderful dish, the Lau Khosa Bhaja, that I posted ages back. :-)

Need :
1 Lau / Lauki / Bottle gourd - peeled and cut into medium cubes
Fresh curd / Yoghurt - 1 or 2 cups ( depending on how much lauki you have )
Curry leaves - 6 to 8
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Salt to taste
Sugar - just a pinch

How to :

Heat the oil in a wok / kadahi / deep pan.

Add the mustrad seeds and wait till they start to splutter.

Now add the curry leaves and chillies.

Add the lauki, a little salt, cover and cook till the lauki is done. ( If using precooked lauki, then just toss it around for a while ).

After the lauki is well cooked, add the chopped ginger, stir some more, remove in a bowl and keep aside to cool.

After it has cooled well, add the curd ( beat it a little to make it smooth ) and mix well.

Keep in the fridge serve only when it is real chilled.



Goes great on the side with any meal of rotis or rice. And if you are on a diet, have it as is for lunch. It is healthy and tasty too. :-)

Updated : The following lines are not for my regular readers and friends who have always been generous in leaving encouraging comments for my recipes and writings.

I have noticed that as the number of visits to Kichu Khon are increasing ... and the number of mails, asking for details of recipes, too ... the comments are decreasing day by day. If I go by the number of visits statistics show, my comment box should be overflowing with comments everyday. Sadly reality is far from it.

C'mon folks ... I love to hear from you here .... so if not good manners how about some morale boosting? ;-)

TC all!! :-)

Lau Bori or Bodi / Lauki & Bottle Gourd with Sun dried Lentil Dumplings

Even though I make lauki in a number of ways, I like this version for two reasons.
First, it is purely veggie and hubby likes it.
Second, it is made the Bengali way ... read ... it has the flavour of Paanch Phoron ( a mix of equal quantities of methi, mustard, jeera, saunf and kalaunji seeds) and also the boris / bodi / vadi.

Bori / Bodi / Vadi is nothing but sun dried lentil dumplings ... that are called Mungaudi in Hindi ... the name coz they are made usually from moong dal.

While peeling the Lau / lauki / gourd, if you keep the peels a little thick you can make a fry from them .... the Lau Khosa Bhaja. :-)

This dish is easy and fast to make ... and has a distinct flavour that goes great with steamed rice and dal.

Need : Lauki cut into small pieces, chopped onion, paanch phoron, chopped tomatoes, whole green chillies, tumeric powder, dried lentil dumplings / bori or bodi or vadi , grated ginger, sugar and salt to taste and a little cooking oil.

How to : Heat a little oil. Fry the bori / bodi / vadi / mungaudis till they turn brown in colour. Keep aside.

Heat a little more oil in the same pan. Add the paanch phoron and the green chillies.
Then add the onions and fry for some time.
Add the lauki and stir. Add tumeric, salt and a little sugar. Cover and cook for some time.

Remove cover and add the tomatoes , the fried bori / bodi / vadi and the grated ginger. Cover and cook till lauki is done.
Serve hot.


Non veggies can add shrimp or medium sized prawns to this dish instead of the bori.

Lau Khosa Bhaja

My blog is two months old today ... maybe it will be considered eligible to be on TOI now. :-) If not still ... no parwaa.

I have so many recipes in draft right now ... still this is one recipe that I'd like to share with my blog friends right away. Translated it means Lauki or Bottle gourd peel fry. Our cook used to make it ... and it is one of my favorite bhajas(fry).

It is indeed a wonder how these simple people can come up with the most simplest dishes from the most simplest things. And they are not so educated to know that it is the skin of any fruit or vegetable that contains the most vitamins .... not to mention fibre too. Our cook used to make an awesome jhaal from the stems of cauliflower ... that we would usually throw away. Of course it is another thing that the vegetables should be very fresh ... which is rare in cities.

For this bhaja you must have a fresh and very tender lauki or bottle gourd.

To peel use a knife instead of a peeler ... cut the skin thickly and then slice it. A small potato must be added to give the dish a little body, else the peels tend to turn limp ... and also have a tendency to get burnt while frying.

Need : Sliced lauki peel, 1 small aloo/potato sliced , 1 small onion sliced, 1/2 tsp kalaunji / nigella seeds, whole red chillies, a pinch of haldi / turmeric, salt to taste and 1 tbsp cooking oil ( I used mustard oil).

How to : Heat oil.

Add the kalaunji and chillies. Now add the onion and fry for some time. Add the aloo and fry again for some time.

Now add the lauki peels and haldi powder and salt. Cover and cook till the vegetables are done.
Do keep checking else they get burnt easily ... add very little water ... only if needed.

Remove cover and fry till they turn brownish.

Goes very well with hot rice and dal. Great with rotis too.

Enjoy !!