Bottlegourd Chunety | Lauki | Dudhi Chutney Recipe

I like bottle gourd, ridge gourd chutney and I make this almost every time I use both these veggie.  I use skin(peel) along with few bottle gourd pieces to make the chutney, but some times if bottle gourd is not tender then I use it mostly to make chutney or dal as making sabzi won't be nice and it take ages to get cooked. 

I made this last week when again the lauki was hard and I have to give up on idea of making lauki sabzi and end up with this chutney.  Bottle gourd chutney is specially good during this summer due to this water content and cooling effect.  This chutney goes well with plain rice or any variety rice or even with paratha.   If you have not so tender bottle gourd or even to use the skin make this chutney don't let it go for waste.  You can also add coriander leaves along with this chutney I do that sometimes, and even give a tadka (tempering) which I doesn't do that for most of my chutney.  

Bottle gourd (Dudhi) Chutney

Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes
Yields: 1 1/2 Cups

Ingredients:

Chopped Bottle gourd/Lauki/Dudhi - 2 Cups (also use skin)
Oil - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 3 Pods (large, 5-6 if using small)
Green Chilli - 4-5 [or to taste, my green chillies were not spicy I use around 10]
Tamarind - Peas Size
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Water - Required to Grind

Method:

1. Rinse well and chop bottle gourd in chunks.  (we don't have to peel it)
2. Heat oil in a pan or wok, add cumin and allow to splutter. Add chana dal, garlic, green chillies and saute until chana dal becomes golden brown.
~ I used added chillies later to make the chutney spicy, the way I like.
3. Now add bottle gourd pieces and saute for 2 minutes, add bottle gourd skin(peel) if using and saute for 4-5 minutes or until bottle gourd pieces starts to get golden brown.

4. Allow to cool bottle gourd and then grind with salt, tamarind, coconut and little water in to smooth paste.

Our easy chutney is ready.  Have it with rice/paratha.

Variations

~ Add few stalks of coriander leaves for nice green color and flavor.
~ If yo wish, in the end add tempering for that heat 1 tsp oil add 1/2 mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp urad dal, curry leaves and saute until golden brown, pour on chutney.
~ You can make this chutney only with bottle gourd skin (peel)
~ You can make this chutney in less quantity, less I had to use the hard bottle gourd I made in large quantity. 
~ It stays good for 2-3 days if refrigerated in air tight container.  

Have  a nice day ~~