Bottle Gourd Peels Chutney

Consider yourself lucky if you like lauki.  Better known as Bottle Gourd in English Vinglish kind of language, christened so probably ‘cos of its profile.  Grab that bottle that is mostly filled with water. Cools you down when you sweat n calms you down when you fret.  Aren’t we lucky? Thanks to Mom Nature for gifting us this wonderful veggie called Lauki. Rough it up that deadly dandruff, shoo away insomnia with this sleepwell veggie, stun yourself by trimming down those tons. Dying to dye your grey hair back to black? Oops…Don’t! Reverse effect can be adverse for Mother Nature feels averse. Instead guard them from turning grey by using Bottle Gourd. Be it halwa or chutney, kootu or curry, Bottle Gourd shows the way. Peel them away, preserve and pile those peels, pamper them, present them with perks like paste of tamarind, serve them some salt n spices, cajole them with coconut…they too will reciprocate by being pleasing to your palate. Grind them all n watch them go gaga! And you….get set for a field day right below!

Dish Type:  South Indian Side Dish

Time taken: 10 min
Serves:  4 persons

Ingredients

Bottle Gourd                      1 no.

Tamarind paste                 ¼ tsp

Red chilli                           5 nos.

Salt to taste                       1 tsp approx.

Raw coconut                     ¼ of a coconut (grated)

Mustard seeds                  ½ tsp

Asafoetida                         A pinch

Directions

Wash bottle gourd. Peel the skin. Keep the pulp and peels aside.

Boil the peels and pulp in water for about 5 min. along with tamarind paste, red chillies and salt. Drain the water and keep it aside. Let the pulp and peels cool down. Grind them with fresh, raw grated coconut. Use the boiled water in small quantities while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste. Season the chutney by heating a tsp of oil in a small skillet. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles switch off the flame and add asafoetida.

Bottle Gourd Peels Chutney is now ready.

Tete - a - tete

Bottle Gourd is an excellent drink post workout since it helps restore lost carbohydrates and glucose levels. This juice is better consumed fresh without mixing any other vegetables. However amla, ginger, fresh mint or rock salt can be added to spice up its flavour.
Recipe Contributor: Smt. Saraswathi