Bharwa Lauki
by Tarla Dalal
Scooped containers of boiled bottle gourd are packed with a flavourful, soft paneer stuffing, and topped with tangy tomato gravy. Known for its good health quotient, bottle gourd becomes all the more desirable in this Bharwa Lauki recipe, as it combines tastefully with protein-packed paneer and Vitamin A and C rich tomatoes.
Bharwa Lauki recipe - How to make Bharwa Lauki
Preparation Time: Cooking Time: Total Time:
Makes 4 servings
For The Stuffed Lauki
1 big bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
1/2 cup grated low-fat paneer (cottage cheese)
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
1/2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
For The Tomato Gravy
2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
2 tsp oil
1 small stick cinnamon (dalchini)
3 cloves (laung / lavang)
1/2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
For The Garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
Method
For the stuffed lauki
For the tomato gravy
How to proceed
For the stuffed lauki
- For the stuffed lauki
- Combine all the ingredients, except the bottle gourd, in a bowl and mix well. Keep the stuffing aside.
- Cut the bottle gourd lengthwise to get two halves and scoop out the centre of both the halves. Cut each half into a 50 mm. (2?) long pieces. You will get approx. 10 pieces in all.
- Combine the bottle gourd pieces, salt and enough water in a deep non-stick pan and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till the bottle gourd pieces are cooked. Drain well and keep aside to cool slightly.
- Divide the paneer stuffing into 10 equal portions and stuff each piece of bottle gourd with a portion of the filling. Keep aside.
For the tomato gravy
- For the tomato gravy
- Combine the tomatoes and 1 cup of water in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly and blend in a mixer till smooth. Keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai, add the cinnamon and cloves and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
- Add the tomato mixture, ginger-green chilli paste, coriander-cumin seeds powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, sugar and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Keep aside.
How to proceed
- How to proceed
- Just before serving, place the stuffed bottle gourd pieces on a serving plate and pour the hot tomato gravy over it.
- Serve immediately garnished with coriander.
Nutrient values per serving
| Energy | 63 cal |
| Protein | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.6 g |
| Fiber | 3.3 g |
| Fat | 2.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 452.1 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.5 mg |
| Vitamin C | 33.5 mg |
| Folic Acid | 30.4 mcg |
| Calcium | 91.3 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Magnesium | 37.8 mg |
| Phosphorus | 35 mg |
| Sodium | 22.5 mg |
| Potassium | 209.8 mg |
| Zinc | 0.2 mg |
Outbrain
Wont the laukis be soft n soggy when added to gravy..can it be roasted lightly before adding to gravy to give a nice crispy texture n taste? Also tomato gravy seems sour n thin base for this recipe..can we add fresh cream or some ingredient to make it thick and tastier?
it was very nice ..the combination of lauki and paneer is unheard as such..but it goes with each other very well
This recipe tastes amazing.. so different from the normal lauki subzis.. The filling of paneer with the tomato gravy tastes amazing.. Its an amazing combination..
A bit time consuming, but worth the effort to get a healthy stuffed bottle gourd subzi. The gravy really tastes superb!!
Awesome recipe, i made little change in a gravy that is added curd-besan mixture and it tastes great...must try recipe...thanks a ton.
Amazing recipe... Those who dont like to eat lauki its a must try... My husband just lived it... Thanks tarlaji u have enhanced my cooking skills
Bharwa Lauki has been a part of my normal cooking for the family.Its delicious,the roundels in the sauce are delight to the eye and best of all, it is LOW Cal.What more do I need?