Name: Lauki Palak
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Bottle Gourd, lauki/dudhi, peeled and cut into small cubes; 2 cup Spinach, palak, washed and finely chopped; 1 medium Tomato, finely chopped; 4 clove Garlic, crushed or finely chopped; 2 Green Chili Pepper, slit; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil, neutral oil; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, jeera; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric, haldi; 1 tsp Ground Coriander, dhania; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

30 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them pop.
Add the crushed garlic and slit green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden.
Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften and become mushy.
Add the bottle gourd (lauki) cubes. Mix well with the tomato base.
Cover the pan and cook on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Lauki releases a lot of water, so do not add any extra water.
8–10 min
Once the lauki is about 80% tender, add the finely chopped spinach (palak) leaves on top. Mix gently.
Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. The spinach will quickly wilt and blend with the soft lauki.
5 min
Once the excess liquid evaporates and the sabzi reaches a thick, semi-dry consistency, turn off the heat and serve.

How to tell it's done

A light, mildly spiced, wet sabzi where ultra-soft bottle gourd cubes nestle in dark, flavorful spinach greens.

Getting it right

Tip

Adding spinach towards the end and cooking it uncovered preserves its bright green color and nutrients, preventing the dish from turning into a mushy brown paste.

What to serve it with

A light, plain meal. Good with phulkas.

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Ingredients