Lau Chingri

According to me Lau chingri is the best preparation of Lau/ Lauki ( bottle Gourd). This is usually made a little hot and spicy and it is served with plain steamed rice. The addition of Chingri/Shrimp, takes the humble Lau to another level altogether. Gourds are available in the summer months in India. Bottle gourd/lau and a few other gourds release a lot of water when they are cooked, so it cooks in its own juices mostly, there is no need to add any more water to cook it.

The shrimps/ chingri that are used in this recipe are the small ones. Before cooking Shrimp/ chingri they have to be cleaned very well. First you have to take off the shell, you can keep the tail if you want, then take out the black vein which is found on the back. Then wash it well again. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric/ haldi powder on the Shrimp/chingri mix it well and keep aside.

Ingredients

Peeled and cut lau 6 cups

Medium or small shrimp 250g

Tarka or seasoning

Jeera ( cumin) seeds 1/4 tsp

Dry red chilies 2

Tej patta/ Bay leaf 1

Dalchini/ cinnamon 1 inch stick which is broken into small pieces

Masalas

Salt ( namak) 1 teaspoon

Coriander ( dhania) powder 1 teaspoon

Cumin ( jeera) powder 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala 1/2 teaspoon

Chili ( mirchi) powder 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric ( haldi) powder 1/2 teaspoon

Green chilies ( hara mirch) slit 3

Mustard Oil ( sarso ka tel) 3 Tablespoons

Method

Heat the Mustard oil in a kadai or Pan.

Add the shrimp and fry them till they are opaque, do not fry them too much, because shrimps will become hard and rubbery. Remove from the kadai and keep them aside.

In the same oil, add the Masalas for the tarka: Bay leaf/tej patta, red chili,and Jeera/cumin seeds.

When the jeera gets a bit dark brown, add the Lau .

Now add all the masalas/spices except the garam masala. Stir to mix the spices with the Lau, cover with a lid and let it cook on medium heat .

The Lau will release a lot of liquid so there is no need to add water. Open once in a while and check to see if the Lau is soft and done. When the Lau is soft, you will be able to cut it with a spoon.

Remove the lid, and add the shrimp. Mix it well.

Dry out any water that is still left in the kadai. Add the Garam Masala and mix well to get the garam masala evenly mixed.

Take the Kadai/pan of the heat and transfer the Lau chingri to a serving dish. Serve hot with steamed rice.