bottle gourd curry

Bottle Gourd Curry

By Swasthi on January 14, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Bottle Gourd Curry that’s healthy, easy to make and tastes simply delicious. This recipe is extremely simple, does not use any onions or tomatoes. So no lots of chopping, no sautéing etc making it an easy side for your busy weeknights. Serve this bottle gourd curry with rice, roti or paratha. I am sure you will just love this with anything!

Bottle gourd curry made with gourd spices and herbs

Bottle Gourd is known by many different names – calabash, opo squash, long melon etc. It also grows in many different shapes across the world. Also known as Lauki in Hindi, it is a vegetable used widely in Indian Cuisine. In the regional Indian languages it is known as sorakaya, ghiya, dudhi etc.

Bottle gourd is often used to make curries, sambar, dal, stew, soups, Dudhi halwa and Sorakaya Chutney. Apart from that grated bottle gourd is also added to kofta, paratha dough, Thepla dough, Handvo batter & chilla batter.

Known for its many many health benefits it is a staple in Indian households and is also grown by a lot of people in the backyards.

With 96% water content, this super veggie is low in calories, low in fat and high in dietary fiber. It is believed to be alkaline in nature and helps to beat heat, indigestion and acidity problems. Probably due to its benefits, our ancestors consumed it often.

Bottle gourd on a kitchen counter

About Bottle Gourd Curry

Usually bottle gourd is cooked in the simplest way in an onion tomato base, like any other Indian curry. It is minimally spiced since it is lighter in texture & does not go well with a lots of spices. But due to its high moisture content bottle gourd tastes bland a lot of times.

So making a good dish with this veggie that your entire family loves is a little difficult task. The bottle gourd recipe I have shared here is a bit different from the usual one.

My special spice and lentil blend is what makes this bottle gourd curry super aromatic and delicious. It flavours the bland veggie very delicately without overpowering.

This is our absolute favourite for many many years now! I am sure you will all love this too.

More Bottle gourd recipes,
Sorakaya curry
Sorakaya pachadi
Lauki paratha
Sorakaya pappu
Sorakkai kootu
Sorakaya Perugu pachadi

How to Make Bottle Gourd Curry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Wash bottle gourd under running water. Peel the skin and taste test the center to make sure it is not bitter tasting. If it tastes bitter discard it as it is not edible. Chop to bite sized pieces. I used about 300 grams bottle gourd that came up to 2 heaped cups chopped.

Temper the spices

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide heavy bottomed pan. Add 1 teaspoon chana dal, 1 teaspoon urad dal, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds. When the lentils fry to light golden, add 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 dried chili or green chilies.

3. As soon as the lentils turn golden, add the bottle gourd, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric.

4. Stir fry on a medium to high flame for 3 mins, keep stirring to prevent burning. Lower the heat, cover and cook until tender. Keep checking every few minutes so you don’t over cook. It should be cooked fully and soft but not mushy.

Make the Spice Powder

5. While the bottle gourd cooks, gather these ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp dry coconut (or desiccated coconut, skip if you don’t have)
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (skip if you don’t have)
  • 3 to 4 red chilies (adjust)
  • 1 tbsp channa dal
  • 1 tbsp urad dal
  • 2 garlic cloves (medium sized)
  • 1 tsp cumin

6. Dry roast chana dal, urad dal and red chilies until the dal turns golden. Then add cumin, sesame seeds and dry coconut. Toss until the seeds begin to splutter. Cool and make a fine powder with 1 to 2 garlic cloves in a grinder. Use as needed in the recipe. Store the remaining powder and use in any vegetable stir fry recipes.

Make Bottle Gourd Curry

7. By now your bottle gourd should be cooked. It should be fully soft cooked but not mushy. Add fresh coconut if you have, skip if you don’t have. I used about 2 to 3 tablespoons.

8. Add the spice powder as much as you want. Start with 1 tablespoon. Mix and taste test. Add more spice powder or salt if required. Fry till it blends well with the veggie just for a minute or two.

Serve bottle gourd curry with rice and rasam or sambhar.

Bottle gourd curry recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

bottle gourd curry

Bottle Gourd Curry Recipe

Simple bottle gourd dish made with pantry staples. Healthy, delicious and full of flavors. Serve it with rice or roti.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Jump to Comments

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 to 2¼ cups bottle gourd about 300 grams chopped
  • 1 to 2 green chilies slit (optional, or dried chilies)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon Oil or as needed
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal (bengal gram)
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (skinned black gram, optional)
  • teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Coconut (optional, fresh or desiccated)

Spice powder or use idli podi or peanut podi

  • 1 tablespoon chana dal
  • 1 tablespoon urad dal
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds (skip if you don't have)
  • 1 tablespoon dried coconut (copra, or desiccated coconut, skip if you don't have)
  • 3 to 4 dried red chilies (low heat chilies, deseed if needed)
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds


Instructions

Preparation

  • Rinse bottle gourd under running water. Peel the skin and taste test the center a bit to make sure it is not bitter. Then chop to bite sized pieces. 

How to Make Bottle Gourd Curry

  • Pour oil to a wide heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, add cumin, mustard, urad dal and chana dal. 
  • Fry till the dal turns golden. Add curry leaves and chili. Fry till the leaves turn crisp.
  • Add the bottle gourd, salt and turmeric. Fry on a medium to high flame for 3 mins, keep stirring to avoid burning. 
  • Lower the heat. Cover the pan and cook till the gourd is cooked fully, but not mushy.
  • Meanwhile, dry roast chana dal, urad dal and red chilies until the lentils are aromatic and golden. Lower the heat and add sesame seeds, coconut and cumin. Roast until the seeds begin to splutter.
  • Cool and add to a grinder along with garlic cloves. Make a fine powder. Keep checking the gourd in between so you don't over cook.
  • When the bottle gourd is just cooked to your liking, sprinkle coconut and the spice powder as much as you want. Start with 1 tablespoon spice powder.
  • Stir fry the bottle gourd for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste test and add salt if required. Save the left over spice powder in a glass bottle for the next use.
  • Serve bottle gourd curry with roti or with rice and rasam or sambar.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Bottle Gourd Curry Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 90 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Sodium 102mg4%
Potassium 204mg6%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 815IU16%
Vitamin C 15.1mg18%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Bottle Gourd Curry

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

Follow Swasthi’s Recipes

Comments

Recipe Rating




38 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

5 stars
I tried this today,its turned out really good and tastes quite different from our usual way of cooking bottle gourd
Thank you so much for the recipe

5 stars
Loved the bottlegourd pallya recipe which I have used it a few times, but first time to comment. Thank you for yummy recipes.

5 stars
Tried this recipe for the first time, everybody in my household loved it. Made the podi also & it gave a nice flavor to the curry. Thanks for lovely recipe ?

5 stars
I forgot to add rating to my comment, and I guess it is not possible to add it to already posted comment, so here it comes ?
But actually in some reason I can not see my comment here either…

It’s another recipe from yours that turned out great! Thanks a lot!
Although I cooked ash gourd instead of bottle gourd, it’s watery texture and mild taste got so much enriched with the Vepudu Karam.
So getting to know the Vepudu Karam is another win-win while following this recipe.
I keep on following your recipes. I’m very grateful for finding your blog with simple and clear Indian cooking tips and instructions ?

5 stars
Prepared today without coconut and sesame… Tastes good.. would like to prepare sometime with coconut as well.. it went well with lemon rasam.

5 stars
I tried this recipe. Bottle gourd stir fry tastes good. My family liked it too much. Thank you

It is fabulous. Thanks for educating us to cook something really Asian. I also noted many other interesting recipes here. Thank you.

4 stars
Good and tasty recipe. A change from the regular preparation. Generally we do curry with tamarind juice after frying the bottle gourd in shallow oil and poked with a fork.

Sairam,
Hi Swasthi you are doing a great teaching i have learned many vegetarian dishes.

Regards
Mrs Sai SanthaGopal
Malaysia

4 stars
U r reciepes r very good & easy

5 stars
Hi Swathi,
I am a single guy and forced to cook in New York City. I tried your recipe for anda masala and it turned out to be awesome. My last experiment with bottle gourd was a disaster therefore I want to be cautious this time. How will it turn out to be if I don’t add curry leaves and coconut as curry leaves are hard to find in USA. Thanks for your great recipes!
Rahul

iam manu from paris i loved this curry it is fantabulos

I love this dish! I cooked already sometimes for my family and friends and everyone enjoy it 🙂 I’m from Germany, we live in Mysore and I also love to cook healthy food and to get deeper knowledge about indian cuisine. Thank you so much

Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe! It came out really well.

5 stars
I will rate this recipe a 5**** I always hate the taste of dudhi. But after eating this curry, I started loving dudhi.

Now I can buy dudhi blindly.

I prepared this recipe by using VEPUDU KARAM POWDER from ur blog.

5 stars
Personally this was really tasty although I used groundnut spice mix instead. Next time, will try to make with the vepudu kaaram recipe 🙂

recipes for vepadu karam please .
your recipes ate awesome

Healthy stir fry.looks yum

Nice recipe…yummy…

wow such an yummy and healthy stir fry 🙂 looks super delicious !!