Lauki Sabji|Bottlegourd Curry

Name: Lauki Ki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry) - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 500 grams lauki (bottle gourd) (peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3.5 cups)); 2 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds; 1 stalk curry leaves; 2 green chilies (finely chopped); 1 inch ginger (minced); 1 medium onion (finely chopped); 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped); 1/4 cup water; salt (to taste); 1 tablespoon lime juice ((or 1/2 teaspoon of amchur powder)); 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro); 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder; 1 teaspoon coriander powder; 1/2-1 teaspoon garam masala

Lauki Ki Sabzi (or sabji) is a simple and healthy curry made with Bottle Gourd (also known as Lauki, Doodhi, or Ghiya) cooked in an onion-tomato base with a few Indian spices. I'm sharing a version of this recipe made in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. It’s vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and low-carb.

lauki sabji/bottle gourd curry served in a bowl garnished with coriander and lemon wedges and coriander leaves on the side

Lauki is a popular choice for a quick and nutritious meal. This low-calorie vegetable, sometimes referred to as bottle gourd, ghiya, or doodhi, is a wonderful treasury of nutrients ideal for maintaining our health. This green vegetable has a neutral flavor and is simple to cook with.

I enjoy making various dishes with lauki, such as lauki chana dal, lauki kurma, lauki soup, and lauki kheer. Today, I’m excited to share my recipe for Lauki Sabzi. It is delicious, easy to make, and perfect for weeknight dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes. Pairs well with roti or chapati, paratha, or steamed basmati rice.

You can prepare this lauki ki sabzi in three ways Instant Pot, a stovetop pressure cooker, and a stovetop pan. I have shared steps to make it in all three ways.

Jump to:

What is Lauki (Bottle Gourd)?
What Is Lauki Ki Sabzi?
Ingredients
How to Make Lauki Ki Sabzi Recipe
How to Serve Lauki Sabji?
Storage
Tips to make Lauki Ki Sabzi
Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
More Indian Vegetarian Curry Recipes
Lauki Ki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry) - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

What is Lauki (Bottle Gourd)?

Lauki or bottle gourd is also known as calabash, long melon, which is a vine grown for its fruits, either harvested young or used as a vegetable in most parts of the world. This fresh, tender vegetable has a pale green smooth skin and white flesh inside. - Source Wiki

There are many names for Lauki, it's known as Bottle Gourd in English. In some other Indian languages, it's also called lauki, dudhi, ghiya, sorekai, sorakaya, churakka, dudhi bhopala, lau. They are also known as cucuzza, calabash, opo Squash in other countries.

Bottle gourd has always been one of the healthiest vegetables. This vegetable is full of water, about 92%, and has rich nutrients and minerals to keep your body hydrated. It also helps in weight loss, cools your body, and helps digestion.

This Lauki sabzi is a Keto or Low carb recipe; make sure to use a moderate amount of onions and tomato. If you are on a Keto or Low Carb Diet, check out my keto indian food recipes collection.

What Is Lauki Ki Sabzi?

This low-calorie dish, made with bottle gourd, onion, tomatoes, curry leaves, and a few spices, is light and filling. You may serve it with simple chapati, rice, and other dishes.

Ingredients

Lauki (bottle gourd): I used 1 medium lauki, about 500 grams (about 3.5 cups when chopped). Wash the bottle gourd, peel the skin, and discard any seeds. Cut into ½ inch pieces else, small pieces of lauki will get mashed in the pressure cooker. Lauki is readily available in any Indian grocery or Asian store.
Green chilies: Lauki vegetable tastes mild. To make this doodhi curry spicy, I used two green Thai chilies, you can skip it if you like.
Ginger: I have used only ginger in this lauki curry recipe. You can also add freshly minced garlic and ginger or ginger garlic paste.
Onion: Use finely chopped onions that form the base for this curry. You can skip it if you are making no onion-no garlic recipe.
Tomatoes: I used finely chopped Roma tomatoes to make the base for this curry. You can also puree the tomatoes instead and add them if you wish.
Dry spices: I used turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and amchur powder.

How to Make Lauki Ki Sabzi Recipe

Preparing the Lauki/Bottle Gourd

Wash 1 medium bottle gourd (about 500 grams) and cut off the top and bottom ends using a sharp knife.

Peel off the skin with a peeler and cut it in half lengthwise. Also, remove large seeds, if any.

Now cut each into bite-size ½-inch cubes. You should get about 3.5 cups of lauki pieces.

step to prepare bootle gourd by chopping them to bite sized pieces collage

Instant Pot Method

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons oil, add 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds), and let them splutter.

Then add ½ inch ginger (minced), 2 green chilies (finely chopped), and 1 stalk of curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds.

step to saute cumin seeds, ginger and curry leaves collage

Add 1 medium onion (finely chopped). Saute till the onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped) and all the dry spices like ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½-1 teaspoon garam masala, and salt to taste. Cook for two minutes or till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

step to saute onion, tomatoes with spices for lauki sabzi collage

Then add the lauki pieces and ¼ cup water. Mix everything well.

Note: If your Instant Pot has shown BURN in the past, add an extra two tablespoons of water. Also, Deglaze the bottom of the pot using liquids to remove any stuck bits to avoid a BURN alert.

Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 5 minutes.

When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.

step to add lauki pieces and water in to the instant pot insert for bottle gourd curry collage

Remove the lid away from you, squeeze juice from ½ lemon, and garnish with 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves. Mix well.

If there is any excess water, change the setting to SAUTE mode and cook until you get the desired consistency.

Lauki Sabzi is ready, serve hot with chapatis, roti & parathas.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

Follow the same process mentioned above for the Instant Pot. For a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 1–2 whistles on medium heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Pot Method

Follow the same process mentioned above for Instant Pot. Cover Kadai with a lid and cook till lauki gets soft on medium flame. Do stir once or twice in between. Once lauki is cooked, add garam masala and garnish it with cilantro. All the other steps remain the same for bottle gourd curry.

How to Serve Lauki Sabji?

Serve lauki sabzi as a side dish with roti, chapati, basmati rice, jeera rice, or quinoa. You can also serve it along with the lentils of your choice, like dal tadka, masoor dal, and kachumber salad, for a wholesome lunch or dinner.

Storage

To Store: Leftovers stay good for 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Freeze in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheat lauki curry in a microwave or stovetop until warm, and serve. If it's frozen, defrost first and then reheat.

Tips to make Lauki Ki Sabzi

Make sure to choose a bottle gourd that is fresh, has smooth skin, is pale green, and is free from any cuts. It should not be soft when pressed.

Variations

Add dal: You can also add lentils like chana dal, and moong dal to this ghiya sabzi. Soak the chana dal for 1-2 hours, and then add them along with lauki in the pressure cooker. Here is the recipe for lauki chana dal.
Add veggies: Vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas, and beans pair well with this curry. If you cannot find lauki near you, You can swap bottle gourd with other vegetables like ridge gourd (peerkangai), chayote squash (chow chow), zucchini, yellow squash, or pumpkin.
Add coconut milk (or cream): You can add ¼ cup of full-fat coconut milk or cream at the end to make the sabzi rich and creamy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Low Carb/Keto Friendly?

Yes! Lauki is low in carbs and is a great vegetable for the diet.

Is Lauki good for weight loss?

Bottle gourd is low fat, and high in water content. It is full of fiber
which helps you feel fuller for longer.

More Indian Vegetarian Curry Recipes

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instant pot lauki ki sabzi served in a white bowl garnished with coriander leaves and lemon wedge on side

Lauki Ki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry) - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Bhavana Patil

Lauki Ki Sabzi is a simple and healthy curry prepared with Bottle Gourd (aka Lauki, Doodhi or Ghiya) and few spices.

4.82 from 37 votes

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Servings:

Calories : 94

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Keto, Low Carb, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time : 10

Cook Time : 15

Total Time : 25

Equipment

Ingredients

500 grams lauki (bottle gourd) peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces (about 3.5 cups)
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
2 green chilies finely chopped
1 inch ginger minced
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
¼ cup water
salt to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice (or ½ teaspoon of amchur powder)
2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro)

Dry Spices

½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½-1 teaspoon garam masala