Lauki ka Soup (Bottle Gourd Soup)

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Lauki (also known as Dudhi, Bottle gourd and White gourd) has to be one of the healthiest of vegetables and I think because of that very reason a not-so-favourite amongst many, especially children. The only preparation that I used to enjoy of lauki was lauki-kofta curry but that one is a very long recipe and I think all the deep frying involved takes away a little of the health quotient from the vegetable. So recently I started experimenting a lot with soups… starting with the humble tomato soup, I’m quite happy to see myself graduate to quite a few simple yet healthy and interesting combinations.

Preparation time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Serves 2

Ingredients

1 medium size bottle gourd (~300 gms), peeled and cut into big chunks

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1’’ ginger, peeled and crushed

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker; add all the vegetables and spices.
  • Sauté for 2 minutes
  • Add water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles
  • Open the cooker after the steam has escaped on its own
  • Cool and grind the vegetables to a paste in a mixer. Adjust water according to the desired consistency
  • Pour into the pan, through a sieve. Add lemon juice and bring to a light boil on low flame.
  • Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve hot

Health Benefits: Bottle gourd is low in fat and cholesterol yet high in dietary fibre. It contains 96% water, which makes it very cooling and easy to digest. It is rich in iron, vitamin C & B complex, has sodium and potassium. It is excellent for light and low-cal diets and effective against constipation and other digestive disorders.

Category : Soup
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