Bottle gourd is known as sorakkai in Tamil, lauki or doodhi in Hindi and chorakaa in Malayalam. It is commonly used in Indian cooking. You can make a variety of dishes both sweet and savory with bottle gourd like kootu, dal, halwa, kheer etc. This is one of my favorite dish and I make this simple lauki pulao quite often and pair it with a spicy gravy. Today we will learn how to make Bottle gourd pulao/biryani following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.
Bottle Gourd Rice-Lauki Pulao
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 15 mins
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: Rice-Lunch-Bottle Gourd
Recipe Cuisine: North Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: Rice-Lunch-Bottle Gourd
Recipe Cuisine: North Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed
Rice – 1 cup (basmati or regular rice)
Bottle gourd – 3 cups chopped
Green peas – 1/3 cup fresh or frozen
Onion – 1 cup or 2 big onions
Green chillies – 2 slit
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
For the seasoning
Oil – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Whole black peppercorns – 3-4
Cinnamon – 1/2 inch stick
Cloves – 3
Curry leaves – a sprig
For Garnishing
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Preparation
Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes in water. Drain the water and keep it ready.
Peel the skin of bottle gourd and chop it into medium sized pieces. Discard the seeds.
Cut onions lengthwise and slit green chillies.
Method
Heat oil + ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, when it sizzles, add cloves, cinnamon and whole black peppercorns.
Saute for a few seconds and then add onions, green chillies and curry leaves.
Saute until onions turn light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more seconds.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt needed.
Add chopped bottle gourd, green peas and mix well. Add soaked and drained rice.
Mix well and add 2 cups of water. Check for salt by tasting the water. If required add at this stage.
When water starts boiling, close the cooker and cook on low heat (without the whistle) until the rice is cooked. You can open the cooker in between, mix again and continue to cook until the rice is fully cooked.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Fluff it with a fork and serve hot.
Simple and delicious bottle gourd rice/lauki pulao is ready. You can serve it with raita or any spicy gravy. As the pulao is a bit plain, a spicy gravy goes well with it.
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View Comments (17)
Best
Can we use ash goard
No but you can use chow chow.
Very new recipe
What is the gravy that is in d picture?
It is
Methi Paneer. Click the link for the recipe.
Tomorrow we will make. Thanks
Superb !
Hi Padhu,
Tried this today.. Quick and simple ... Came out good...
Dear padhu suggest some recepies with lauki....other than usual ones
Suggest some side dishes other than methi paneer..
You can make any spicy gravy for this. Paneer butter masala,capsicum masala etc etc. If you are a non vegetarian, you can have it even with spicy chicken gravy.
Can I use snakegourd instead of bottle gourd
Try it and give me your feedback. I have not tried it with snakegourd.
Ok thanx for the reply
I tried Nd comes out well..thank u...
why do u not put whistle will its get smashed ? going to try it today