KASHMIRI BOTTLE GOURD CURRY
KASHMIRI BOTTLE GOURD SABJI IS LIGHT AND GREAT FOR DIGESTION.
Kashmiri bottle gourd curry recipe that is light, healthy, and delicious. A traditional Kashmiri recipe that is easy to digest and spiced with subtlety. Bui, my aunt, shares all the tips on spicing bottle gourd.
Learn more about bottle gourd >
RECIPE DETAILS
Serves: 4 as part of an Indian meal.
Cooking time: 40 minutes (plus 5 minutes prep time).
Dietary Style: Gluten Free. Vegetarian.
INGREDIENTS
PRODUCE TO PREP
- 1 1/2 bottle gourd, skin peeled and finely diced
- if you can't get bitter gourd, use 2 medium-sized zucchini. Peel the skin of these also, and keep to the same fine dice.
FOR THE POT
- 1.5 tbsps vegetable oil
- a pinch or two of hing powder
- .5 tsp cumin seed
- .5 tsp coriander powder
- 2 small green chilles, whole
- 2 tsp fine white sea salt
LAST PHASE
- 3 tsp fennel powder
- .5 tsp ginger powder
- 2 tbsp curd
TO FINISH
- half a bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
METHOD
How to make our Kashmiri bottle gourd curry recipe.
STEP 1
Start with a medium-large pot on a medium heat. Add the vegetable oil until heated. Once hot, add the hing. Enough that the oil becomes fragrant. You can see when we reach this point in the video—Bui directs me to smell when I ask her how much hing to add. Essentially it’s a pinch or tow, or until the oil is fragrant. Complete this part of the masala by adding the cumin seed and coriander powder. Then we’re tipping in the diced skinned produce. Either gourd or zucchini. Whichever you could find.
Just a note here on the removal of the skin. It’s important to do so, even if using zucchini which has much softer skin than gourd, in order to keep the character of the dish. The way that Bui doesn’t add turmeric powder or chilli powder so as not to change the colour, we also don’t keep the skin on so as to note interfere with the masala’s soft texture. Soft masala. Soft produce. All very logical.
STEP 2
At this point we’re cooking down the gourd on a medium heat for about 15 minutes or until slightly soft.
STEP 3
Once we’ve reached this point in the cook, it’s time to continue the build of masala. We’re adding 2 green chillies, not too large, and not chopped, just broken up a little bit. Do this by hand. Add the salt at the same time, then cook for another five to seven minutes. We’re keeping the stovetop on a constant medium heat. These aromatics create the drive in the dish—chilli a little punchy, and the salt will give shape and strength to what is a subtle masala.
In continuation, we finish with the last phase spicing. This is fennel and ginger powders, and tbsp of whipped curd / yogurt. This is a quick process—just a little yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Cook this in for five minutes before adding the fresh coriander.
STEP 4
Gourd and zucchini release a lot of liquid / water. But at any point in the cook if the pot gets dry, add a little more water from the tap. Just enough to keep the pot from drying out, and the produce cooking in a soft liquid masala.
STEP 5
To finish the cook transfer the gourd to a pressure cooker—if you have one— and cook on high heat until the pressure cooker emits one whistle. Turn off and then leave to de-pressurise. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, put the lid on the pot and cook on a lower heat for a further 20 minutes, checking beforehand that there is enough liquid so that the sabji won’t stick and burn. Sufficicent liquid also ensure the masala remains dispersed and broad, and doesn’t intensify. Its softness is what keeps it digestible in summer.
Serve with boiled rice or chapatti.
LEARN MORE ABOUT
BOTTLE GOURD
What does bottle gourd taste like?
Bottle gourd tasted raw is somewhere between a cucumber, a pear and a zucchini. It is light, fresh, and slightly crunchy. Cut finely, it has a more pleasurable taste when cooked than if it is thickly diced
What is bottle gourd?
Bottle gourd is a type of vine-grown melon. It is actually a fruit but is eaten as a vegetable. Bottle gourd is commonly cooked across the regions of India. It is inexpensive, and carries flavour well.
What are the benefits of eating bottle gourd?
Bottle gourd is rich in dietary fibre. Ayurveda sees bottle gourd as having antioxidant properties that help to soothe inflammation of the system. It is alsp said to be good for digestion.
What spices taste good with bottle gourd?
Bottle gourd is suited to lighter spices that are floral, a little earthy, and softly fragrant. Harder spices like garlic and onion will tend to dominate any bottle gourd curry.
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