(Above): Lauki ke Kabab (Siliconeer)

The goodness of bottle gourd gets pepped up with the taste of kabab. Here is a tandoori twist to the ever-humble bottle gourd, by Sudha Gupta.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chana dal (washed, soaked in water)
  • 1 bottle gourd (opu or lauki) cut into pieces – 1 cup
  • 2 potatoes (boiled, mashed)
  • ½ cup green onion (finely chopped)
  • ½ cup spinach (finely chopped)
  • I/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 tsp. green chili (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp. ginger (grated)
  • 2 tbsp. sooji
  • salt to taste
  • 1tsp. black pepper
  • 3 tbsp. chaat masala
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup milk (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. clarified butter (ghee)

Method:

  1. Grind the chana dal and make a thick paste.
  2. Take bottle gourd, add ½ cup water, make a fine paste.
  3. Add sooji in grinder, mix ½ cup milk or water and grind.
  4. Put a nonstick frying pan on stove on medium flame. Add 2 tbsp. ghee. Add chana dal paste and roast for 3-4 minutes. Add bottle gourd paste, spinach, green onions, green chili and ginger.
  5. Mix sooji paste with bottle gourd and chana dal paste.
  6. Roast till mixture becomes a thick dough. Close stove and allow mixture to cool.
  7. Mix mashed potatoes and salt to taste.
  8. Take a baking tray, grease with oil.
  9. Spread the entire mixture on the greased tray.
  10. Make ½ inch thick squares of the mixture, press the squared by hand.
  11. Spread breadcrumbs on top, add butter on square mixture cakes.
  12. Preheat oven 300°F for 30 minutes and bake.
  13. Cut the baked cake into triangular pieces and serve with salsa.
  14. Garnish with red and yellow bell peppers with some coriander.