Bottle gourd can be used to make a variety of dishes. Here’s a simple recipe for fritters using its peel.
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled and finely chopped bottle gourd peel (water squeezed out)
- ½ cup ground red lentils (masoor dal paste)
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ⅓ tsp ginger paste
- ⅓ tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp chopped green chili
- 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup oil (for frying)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into fritters.
- Fry them in the hot oil until they turn golden brown on both sides.
- Serve hot with your favorite sauce or chutney.
Bottle Gourd Seed Mash (Lau’er Dana Bharta)
A unique Bengali-style mash using the inner white pulp and seeds of mature bottle gourd.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of inner pulp with seeds from a mature bottle gourd
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 green chilies
- A pinch of turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- Finely chop the inner white pulp and seeds of the mature bottle gourd.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry onion, garlic, and green chilies until fragrant.
- Add the chopped pulp and seeds, turmeric, and salt. Cook until all moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes slightly dry and roasted.
- Add coriander leaves and remove from heat.
- Mash the mixture using a traditional stone grinder or blend it in a mixer until smooth.
- Optional: Add some fried shrimp while mashing to enhance the flavor.