Lauki sabji, also called as ghia sabji, is a common curry in North India. It is made of bottle gourd. It is not very spicy and is made in a very simple way using simple flavors.
Ingredients and Preparation
Bottle gourd is the main ingredient for making lauki sabji. Tomato is also used. Indian spices like turmeric, curry leaves, cumin, coriander seed powder and red chilli powder are used.
Lauki sabji is generally made in a pressure cooker. It can also be made in a kadhai( Indian wok) and with very less oil. Cumin and curry leaves are tempered in oil. Diced bottle gourd and tomato are added along with all the spices and it is pressure cooked for 5 – 7 minutes.
Serving
· Lauki sabji is served with hot phulkas.
· It can also be served with khichadi.
Popular Variations
· Dal ghia is a common curry made in North India. It is made of chana dal and bottle gourd.
Health and Nutrition Facts
Serving size – 45 cal, Fat – 2 g, Carbohydrates – 10 g, Fiber – 1 g
· Lauki sabji is extremely low in calories. It is even a part of all major hospital diets given to patients during recovery from any illness.
· It has a cooling and diuretic effect on the body. It helps to solve all urinary disorders.
· It is rich in water soluble vitamin like vitamin C and B complex. It is also rich in minerals like iron.
· It prevents pre-mature greying of hair.
· Bottle gourd has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
· Ayurveda mentions the importance of lauki as it helps to cool the body and is very light for the stomach. It digests very easily.
· The best way to cook lauki sabji is by not cooking it for very long. It should not be stored for a very long time after cooking. It should be eaten instantly.
