400gramslaukior 2.5 cups of chopped lauki (dudhi or bottle gourd or opo squash or ghiya)
⅓cupfresh grated coconut
1 or 2green chilies,chopped (hari mirch)
½cupchopped onionor a medium sized onion
1pinchasafoetida(hing)
salt as per taste
Instructions
chopping dudhi
First rinse the dudhi (lauki) very well in water. Then peel it.
Chop the dudhi. Avoid chopping in small pieces. You will need about 2.5 cups of chopped lauki.
making dudhi bhaji
Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a pan. Keep the heat to a low.
Add ½ cup chopped onion. Saute and stir the onions for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
Then add a generous pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
Now add a tablespoon of chopped green chilies. Again mix and stir well.
Saute the onions till they look translucent.
Then add the peeled, chopped dudhi (lauki or bottle gourd).
Sprinkle salt as required and mix well.
cooking dudhi bhaji
Cover with a lid, cook dudhi bhaji for 14 to 16 mins on a low flame or sim. Do check at intervals of 4 to 5 mins and then give a stir.
If the dudhi pieces are sticking on to the pan. Then add some water. Mix, cover with the lid and continue to cook.
After getting cooked, you will see that the dudhi pieces has softened, changed their color and texture. If the dudhi pieces still looks firm, then cover and cook, till they become soft.
Once the dudhi has softened and cooked well, add 1/3 cup of fresh grated coconut.
Stir and mix well.
Cook dudhi bhaji for 2 to 3 mins on a low heat.
Switch off the flame.
Serve dudhi bhopla bhaji with chapati or paratha as a side dish with your meals.
Notes
This recipe can be easily scaled to make a bigger batch.
Before cooking do a taste test. If the bottle gourd is tasting bitter then discard it.
You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
To make the dish gluten-free either source gluten-free asafoetida or skip adding it.