Steamed Lauki Poriyal

steamed lauki

Steaming vegetables retains most of their nutrients besides softening them. Direct heat destroys most of the nutrients and water-soluble compounds. Bottle gourd is rich in water, and cooking it on high heat could make it nutrient deficient. Steaming is a great way to preserve nutrients.

Whether you choose to steam veggies using an electric steamer or microwaveable plastic bag or using a makeshift vessel and steaming on stove top, you can rest assured that you are eating healthy food. The indirect form of heat helps retain most of the vegetable

• moisture
• juice
• nutrients
• nutritional value
• flavor & texture

What more could you ask for?

You can choose to steam veggies of your choice to preserve their low calorie content and nutrients. Who would forget the flavor and texture?

Now you would be surprised to know that steaming the humble bottle gourd (dudhi or ghiya or lauki) can not only retain its moisture, texture, color, and nutritional value, but also enhance its flavor.

Don't believe my words?

Then this steamed lauki stir fry recipe is for you!

A great way to include bottle gourd or lauki in your meal plans is to steam the water-rich vegetable and flavor it with coconut. Your family, including kids, will surely fall in love with the dietary fiber-rich lauki, that too, if they realize they are eating bottle gourd!

Bottle Gourd Benefits
With low fat content and high dietary fiber composition, lauki is an easy to digest vegetable. It contains 96% water and has cooling properties - this is the reason it is profusely available in summers.

Rich in vitamin b & C, bottle gourd has a good amount of iron, sodium, and potassium. Bottle gourd for weight loss is highly recommended by dietitians. It is also an excellent source of fiber, which makes it highly effective for digestive disorders.

Bottle Gourd Nutritional Facts (source:ParentingHealthyBabies)

Also known as opo squash or long melon, bottle gourd benefits health in numerous ways.
It is

• a safe, natural laxative
• a digestive aid
• a cure for intestinal worms
• recommended for urinary problems
• is least reactive
• is usually safe for kids, elderly, and adults alike* (however, there have been reports of 3 deaths from bottle gourd toxicity - so always take a small bite of lauki while chopping it to check if it is bitter- the bitter ones should be discarded)

It is cultivated across India, Sri Lanka, China, and Malaysia, among other countries.

Peel the outer layer of bottle gourd, chop or cut it into small pieces and steam them to retain most of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients hidden inside this green vegetable.

Steaming vegetables also gives you the same taste and flavor that you often get from heating veggies. But in that case, veggies lose most of their nutrients. While steaming preserves nutritional value, it also infuses flavors and retains moisture. The best part is you do not need tbsps of oil to make veggies flavorful - just steaming them with the right spices is enough to add "zing" to green vegetables.

Ingredients
This recipe takes inspiration from south Indian Poriyal. I have improvised it to suit my taste buds and health quotient.

steamed lauki stir fry

1 cup- lauki  or more

1/4 th cup or more- fresh coconut( I had dry coconut powder..I kept it soaked in water for 5 mins and it was like fresh) 

curry leaves

1/2 tsp- mustard seeds

1/4 tsp- urad dal 

ginger grated

salt

1 green chilly 

1/4 tsp- oil (I used olive oil) - optional - needed only if you wish to temper the ingredients - it tastes yummy even without tempering

Procedure

1. Cut lauki into small pieces - the smaller the better.
2. Grate ginger over lauki.
3. Add coconut powder.
4. Chop green chilly over it.
5. Sprinkle salt and curry leaves and mix everything.
6. Keep aside for an hour, so that the flavors infuse in the vegetable.
7. Keep the mixture on a steamer and steam for 10-12 mts or little longer.
8. You may wish to eat it at this stage or temper the same with mustard seeds and urad dal.
9. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Let them dance.
10. Add the steamed lauki mixture and blend everything well.
11. Cover & cook for 2-3 mts. Enjoy this healthy, tasty, and flavorful lauki bhaja with rice or roti.
12. Or you may simply make the tempering first and then pour it over the rest of the ingredients before steaming them. Enjoy steamed lauki bhaja in salad form or as a side item.
13. You may want to try lauki chutney.