I ate bottle gourd vegetable the way only she could cook it when we travelled from Bombay to Poona during our school vacations. She is also known for making perfect Gujarati chapatis, rolled out doubled, and then opened out once cooked to make two splendid ghee smattered orbs, to get two chapatis out of one.
Our vacations were truly memorable. My cousins and we sisters would raid my aunt’s fridge at night and have midnight feasts. The next morning the soaked almonds were gone and the condensed milk had disappeared. We were little monsters in the garb of children and I’m certain my root canals now, go back to my food monster days.
So here is the recipe of bottle gourd vegetable, Kishori mami’s way.
Gujarati Style Bottle Gourd Vegetable
Bottle gourd vegetable cooked in my aunt’s style, good for diabetics and heart healthy too, and very tasty.
- 750 grams bottle gourd peeled and chopped not small pieces
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- A nice pinch of asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker pan on medium flame.
Put the cumin seeds into the oil and fry till they change color, then add the asafoetida and cook till a nice aroma emanates, a few seconds.
Put in the chopped bottle gourd vegetable into the pan and add salt to taste. Sprinkle with water thrice, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup water depending on the consistency you want once the vegetable is cooked.
Now close the cooker and cook for two whistles. Switch off the gas and check to see that the vegetable is cooked well, but not mashed.
Add the coriander powder and the sugar and cook on slow flame for one to two minutes more. Serve hot with ghee chapatis or Indian flat breads.
