Lazeez Lauki (Delicious Bottle-gourd)

Lazeez Lauki (Delicious Bottle-gourd)

Ingredients:

• 500 gm bottle gourd (Lauki)
• 250 gm khoya
• 200 gm curd
• 100 gm ghee
• 25 gm poppy seeds
• 25 gm chironji
• 8-10 cashew nuts
• 2 medium sized onions
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 5-6 cardamom
• 5 pcs cloves
• 1 blade mace
• 1 tsp kewra water
• A few springs green coriander
• A pinch saffron
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the gourd (if it is too long, then cut in two halves). 
2. Remove the pith with a knife with a thin and long blade. 
3. Prick the outside with a fork, apply a teaspoon of salt all over and keep aside for 15 minutes. 
4. After that, fry the finely sliced onions to a golden brown and grind to a paste. 
5. Fry cashew nuts and chironji separately in same ghee to a pink colour and remove. 
6. Chopped cashew nuts and keep in a separate pan. 
7. Crumble khoya and keep stirring till it turn to a pinkish hue, mix the fried nuts in it and keep aside. 
8. Grind cloves, cardamoms and mace to a paste. 
9. Lightly roast the poppy seeds on a griddle and grind to a paste using some of the curd. 
10. Pat the gourd dry and fry it in the ghee previously used, evenly brown all over, drain the ghee. 
11. Now in the khoya, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoon of curd, blend well, stuff the mixture inside the gourd.
12. In the curd, mix the onion paste, poppy seed paste, garam masala paste and the saffron dissolved in kewra water. 
13. Also add the chilli powder and salt and blend well. 
14. Grease the pan, spread the curd mixture and the remainder of the ghee on it, then cover with lid and place live charcoal fire on it. 
15. Also apply low heat from below, Cook it for 30 minutes or till the gourd is done. 
16. Serve hot on a platter garnished with sprigs of coriander. 
17. Cut the round sliced while serving.
18. Enjoy the tasty, delicious Gourd dish with Roti
    or Paratha.