Lau Doodhi Bottle Gourd

Chopped Up

Lau aka Doodhi is a long green gourd you can find in Asian markets. It’s mildly sweet tasting and the seeds remind me a bit of those in cucumbers. This preparation is called a ghanto which means mixture in Bengali. Ghantos are generally lightly spiced veggies that are cooked down until the gravy is absorbed. This recipe uses coconut to give it a sweet touch. It’s great mixed with rice.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: ~30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bottle gourd, chopped into small pieces (shredded is also great)
1 t Cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
2 oz shredded coconut (sweetened coconut is preferrable)
1 t mustard oil
salt to taste
chili powder to taste
butter to taste

Method:
Roast cumin seeds and bay leaf in mustard oil for a minute or two. Next add in all ingredients except for coconut. Cook on medium-low for 20 minutes. Now add in coconut and mix in well. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the lau is cooked through. Serve hot with rice.

Lau Ghanto