Lau Chingri Chechki Bottle Gourd Curry with Prawns

Name: Lau Chingri Chechki Bottle Gourd Curry with Prawns
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 medium size bottle gourd, grated; 3 tbsp mustard oil; 10-12 prawns cleaned & tail intact; 1 tsp nigella seeds; as needed oil for frying; 2-3 green chilies slit; 1/4 tsp asafoetida; to taste salt; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp roasted cumin powder; 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

Sharjah (UAE)

#Rainbowweek7 - This is a simple and a quick Bengali homemade style bottle gourd stir fry cooked along with some prawns. It is a dry recipe where I gave a tempering of kalonji (nigella seeds), fresh chilies and asafoetida in mustard oil. For a veg. version, vadi / dried lentil dumplings can be added. Lau in the Bengali lingo is bottle gourd and Chingri is know as prawn. So this recipe is a jugalbandi of both these two key ingredients.

The garnishing of some raw mustard oil to the end product gives a nice mustardy flavour and an authentic touch to this dish. I also added some fresh coriander leaves, but it is purely optional. This is a very easy and a great comfort food that is especially relished for lunch with hot steamed rice. But there is no ham in having it with roti /paratha. So enjoy !!!

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

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Ingredients

1medium size bottle gourd, grated
3 tbspmustard oil
10-12prawns cleaned & tail intact
1 tspnigella seeds
as neededoil for frying
2-3green chilies slit
1/4 tspasafoetida
to tastesalt
1/2 tspturmeric powder
1 tsproasted cumin powder
1/2 cupcoriander leaves, chopped

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Steps

1

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan & fry the prawns slightly till it changes colour. Drain and keep aside.
2

Temper the same oil with nigella seeds, green chilies & asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds.
3

Add all the dry spices,
4

Followed by the grated bottle gourd. Mix well & stir fry till well cooked & dry.
5

When done, switch off the flame. Add the coriander leaves, fried prawns and remaining raw mustard oil.
6

Give it a stir and keep it covered for 5 minutes.
7

Serve, preferably with hot steamed rice.