Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Bottle Gourd Curry is a vegan, vegetarian Gluten-free, Vegan main course made with canola oil, of asofetida, and mustard seeds in about 20 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 people
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • pinch of asofetida ((hing))
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 Serrano chili pepper finely chopped ((put half if you want it less spicy))
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger finely chopped
  • 5 curry leaves
  • 3 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 3-4 cups Lauki/Doodhi/Bottle gourd ((peeled and chopped into half inch cubes))
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

  1. I cook this curry in a pressure cooker, but you can use a covered pan as well.
  2. In the cooker/pan, heat the oil on medium heat
  3. Add in the asofetida(hing powder) and mustard seeds and wait till they start to splutter.
  4. Add in the cumin seeds and coriander powder and mix well.
  5. Add in the chopped chili peppers and garlic and mix well. Cook until garlic is slightly golden
  6. Add in the ginger and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds.
  7. Add in the tomatoes and salt and let cook for 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and they pick up the garlicky flavor. you will be able to smell the tomato garlic aroma.
  8. Add in the chopped bottle gourd and mix well. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and switch off.
  9. If cooking in a pan, add in some water with the bottle gourd and cook on medium heat covered until the bottle gourd is soft and easily smashed.
  10. Adjust for salt and spice(chili powder optional) and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rotis/ chapatis/Naan or basmati rice!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.