Bottle gourd Paratha / Suraikkai Chapathi / Lauki Paratha

Category: Chapathi / Paratha   
Preparation Time: 20 mins           
Cooking Time: 20 mins      
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Bottlegourd Paratha

Bottlegourd / Lauki / Suraikkai is one of the lowest calorie vegetables and has a lot of healthy benefits. We usually make poriyal (stir-fry), kootu, kuzhambu, rice, paratha or even raita. 

For the picky eaters / toddlers, we can make this Paratha and for sure they wont even realize there are veggies inside 😉. 

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 2 to 3 cups (Use as needed)
• Bottlegourd - 1 no (Small / Medium sized)
• Carrot - 1 no (Optional)
• Ginger, grated - 1/2 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp 
• Green chilly paste / Red Chilli powder - to taste 
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Ghee- to taste 
• Wheat flour - for dusting

Suraikkai Sadham (Bottlegourd Rice)

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings: 3 Servings 

Suraikkai Sadham / Bottlegourd Rice - I adapted from my mom's recipe:) Its a nice way to include vegetables like bottlegourd to the picky eaters:)

Suraikkai Sadham

 Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Bottlegourd - 1 small to medium sized
• Tomato, chopped- 2 nos
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Green chillies, slitted - 2-3 (adjust spiciness)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Annasi poo - 1
• Bay leaf - 1
• Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste 
• Water - around 2 cups

·         Grind to paste:

• Ginger - 1 1/2 inch piece
• Garlic cloves - 4-5 nos
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak rice in enough water for atleast 30 mins
2. Grind the above given ingredients into fine paste by adding little water
3. Peel off the skin and finely chop the bottlegourd and keep it ready
   
4. Heat oil in the pan / pressure cooker, once it's hot, add Annasi poo and Bay leaf, fry for 30 secs
   
5. Add green chillies and onions, saute well till onions become soft and transparent
   
6. Add chopped tomatoes, little salt and turmeric powder, saute well for 5 mins till it turns mushy
   
7. Then add the ground paste, saute for 2 mins till nice aroma arises
   
8. Add the chopped bottlegourd pieces and saute for 2-3 mins, Add required salt and mix well
   
   
   
   
9. Add required water (around 2 cups-depend on the rice variety) and bring to boil
   
10. Add the soaked and drained rice, mix well; Check for salt
    
11. Cook for 2 whistles and reduce the flame to low for 5 mins
12. Switch off and wait till the pressure releases
13. Serve hot as such or with Raita or Curd!
    

Suraikkai Kootu (Bottlegourd-Channa Dhal Coconut Curry)

Category: Kootu / Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins + 30 mins soaking time
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: 2-3 servings

Bottlegourd Kootu

Ingredients:

• Suraikkai / Bottlegourd - 1 small sized, finely chopped
• Channa Dhal - 1/3 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as needed

For Grinding:

• Fresh Coconut - 1/2 cup, packed
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 1-2 (Adjust as per spiciness)

For Tempering:

• Coconut Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal, split - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red Chilly, broken - 1 no 
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Method:

1. Wash and soak Channa dhal for atleast 30 mins
2. Wash and remove the skin of bottlegourd as well as any big seeds and chop it into fine pieces
   
3. In a pressure cooker, add the soaked channa dhal, finely chopped bottlegourd pieces, turmeric powder and required water; cook in medium flame for 2-3 whistles
4. Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies into a fine paste. If making for kids, we can avoid the green chilly for grinding and use only for tadka
5. Once the dhal and veggie gets cooked, open up the lid and mash them well
   
6. Add the ground coconut paste to the cooked dhal and allow to boil for few mins in low to medium flame
   
7. Add required salt and once it reaches kootu consistency (little thick), switch it off
   
8. In a small pan, heat coconut oil and once it becomes hot add the mustard seeds followed by urad dhal, curry leaves, red chilly and asafoetida
   
9. Pour the tadka into the kootu
   
10. Serve hot with Rice and some Thogayal!!