Bottle Gourd | Lauki

Lauki (Bottle Gourd) - A Versatile Vegetable for Home Cooking

Lauki (Bottle Gourd), also known as dudhi or ghiya, is a vegetable with pale flesh and a mild flavour that pairs well with spices, lentils and tomatoes. Once cooked, its flesh softens, making it a useful ingredient for comforting curries, dal and soups. Choose the 500g–600g or 1kg–1.2kg size option to suit your meal.

Benefits in the Kitchen

Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is easy to work into both savoury dishes and traditional sweet recipes.

• Its gentle flavour complements cumin, ginger, coriander and other aromatic seasonings.
• Diced pieces work well in lauki chana dal and vegetable curries.
• Grated flesh can be used in cooked kofta, handvo or lauki kheer recipes.
• A versatile vegetable for plant-based meals when prepared with suitable ingredients.

Ingredients and Composition

Fresh bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria). This listing is for the vegetable itself. Spices, lentils, milk and other ingredients mentioned in serving suggestions are not included.

Country of Origin

The growing country of the current batch has not been confirmed. Please check the supplied produce label or contact DesiBasket for current sourcing information before ordering if origin is important to you.

How to Prepare

Wash Lauki (Bottle Gourd), trim the ends and peel the skin. Cut into evenly sized pieces, removing any firm, mature seeds or spongy centre. For grated recipes, grate the peeled flesh and follow your recipe's instructions for handling excess moisture.

How to Cook

For a simple curry, cook diced pieces with onion, tomato and spices until tender. For lauki chana dal, combine with chana dal and simmer until both the vegetable and lentils are cooked through. For a sweet preparation, cook grated flesh in milk or a suitable alternative, then sweeten and flavour according to your recipe.

Important Preparation Note

Do not eat bottle gourd that tastes unusually bitter. Discard it rather than trying to mask the bitterness with spices or other ingredients. Do not use bitter bottle gourd to make juice.

Storage

Keep Lauki (Bottle Gourd) refrigerated and wash just before preparation. Refrigerate cut portions in a covered container and use promptly. Follow any storage or date instructions supplied with your order.