If you are someone who regularly visits farms or grows veggies at your home. then you will know that bottle-gourd grows like a creeper. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit an all-organic farm and I carried a few gourds back home from there.
There are a whole lot of wonderful recipes waiting to be made with it. Besides being an extremely healthy juicing option, bottle-gourds can be used in making delectable snacks, gravies, sambars, and of course halwas or kheers.
Let’s embrace the versatile and healthy vegetable whole-heartedly. Let’s get a little creative and include it in our everyday cooking.
I hope you will try this at least once.
Today’s recipe a Rajasthani specialty, very popularly known as Gatte ki sabji. It is usually made with chickpea flour (besan) dumplings. It is a rustic and extremely flavourful side dish.
These dumplings can also be added in gravies which are served with hot phulkas (Indian bread) or steamed rice, and both these combinations taste simply divine. !!!
To this recipe, I have added a twist of healthy goodness by freshly grating bottle gourd into the dumpling mix and then instead of deep frying the dumplings are steamed.
The preparation can be served as a snack as well as a side dish in a meal
This recipe ticks all the right boxes in my list of healthy snacks. Firstly, it is steamed and it has a lovely combination of freshly grated bottle-gourd, whole-wheat flour, few spices, lots of finely chopped green coriander/cilantro leaves.
I personally love serving these alongside kadhi-chawal and with some deep fried curd chillies.
Let’s get started !
Lauki Ke Gatte
Ingredients :
- 1/2 Bottle gourd (lauki) , freshly grated
- 1-1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 4 green chillies, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt, as required
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Water, as required
- Coriander leaves, finely chopped
For tempering : - 2 onions, chopped
- Curry leaves, few sprigs
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (Rai)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida (Hing)
- 3 red chillies
- Oil, as required
Method :
- To begin firstly add all the ingredients under ‘For dumpling dough’ including bottle gourd, chickpea flour (besan) green chillies, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, coriander powder, coriander seeds, coriander leaves and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
- Mix till everything comes together, you may not need water for this since the bottle gourd is quite juicy. Do not knead the dough too much.
- Shape the dough into rolls. Then cut them into smaller pieces about 2 inches or so.
- Steam these dumplings for about 12 to 15 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Once it is done, the next step is to temper the dumplings.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add all the ingredients mentioned under ‘for tempering’ which includes cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds, asafoetida and dry red chillies.
- Once the mustard seeds starts crackling, add the chopped onions.
- Saute the onions till they become translucent. Once it is done, add the steamed dumplings into the pan. Mix everything properly. Cook for another minute or two.
- Once done, switch off the heat and serve hot with green chutney / sauce or with Gujarati kadhi for a light dinner meal.
