Ingredients

• 500 gm - bottle gourd (lauki)
• 250 gm - khoya
• 200 gm - curd
• 100 gm - ghee/oil
• 25 gm - poppy seeds
• 25 gm - chironji
• 8 no - cashew nuts
• 2 no - onions (medium sized)
• 1/2 tsp - chilli powder
• 5 no - cardamoms (green)
• 5 no - cloves
• 1 blade - mace
• 1 tsp - kewra water
• a few springs - green coriander
• a pinch - saffron
• salt to taste

How to Make Lazeez Lauki

• Wash and peel the gourd.
• If it is too long, then cut into two halves.
• Remove the pith with a thin long blade knife.
• Prick the outside uniformly with a fork.
• Apply a tsp of salt all over and keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fry the finely sliced onions to a golden brown and grind to a paste.
• Fry cashew nuts and chironji separately in ghee till it turns pink in color and remove it.
• Coarsely, chop cashew nuts and keep in a separate kadhai.
• Crumble khoya and keep stirring till it turn to a pinkish hue.
• Mix the fried nuts in it and keep aside.
• Grind cloves, cardamoms and mace to a paste.
• Lightly roast the poppy seeds on a griddle and grind to a paste using some of the curd.
• Pat the gourd dry and fry it in the ghee previously used.
• Evenly brown all over.
• Drain ghee and remove.
• Now in the khoya, add 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of curd.
• Blend well.
• Stuff the mixture inside the gourd.
• In the curd, mix the onion paste, poppy seed paste, garam masala paste and the saffron dissolved in kewra water.
• Also, add the chilli powder and salt and blend well.
• Grease a lagan, spread the curd mixture and apply the remaining ghee on it.
• Then, cover with lid and place live charcoal fire on it.
• Also, apply low heat from below.
• Cook for 30 minutes or till the gourd is done.
• Serve hot on a platter garnished with sprigs of coriander.
• Carve round sliced while serving.
• Tastes delicious with chapati or warqi paratha.