Lauki Ki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry)

Lauki Ki Sabzi/Sabji recipe is a simple and healthy curry prepared with Bottle Gourd (aka Lauki, Doodhi, or Ghiya) in an onion-tomato base and a few Indian spices. Today I am sharing the Lauki Ki Sabzi recipe made in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Vegan, Gluten-free, Keto, and Low-carb.

Jump to:

• What is Lauki (Bottle Gourd)?
• Health benefits of Bottle Gourd
• Why You'll Love this Bottle Gourd Curry
• Ingredients for Lauki Ki Sabzi
• How to Make Lauki Ki Sabzi Recipe?
• How to Serve Lauki Sabji?
• Storage
• Tips & Variations to make Lauki Ki Sabzi
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Indian Lauki Recipes
• 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 and 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.

Health benefits of Bottle Gourd

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, helps in digestion, and helps in treating sleeping disorders.

This Lauki Sabji/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, Checkout my Keto Indian Food Recipes Collection.

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

Why You'll Love this Bottle Gourd Curry

• Ready in under 25 minutes.
• Healthy, Low-calorie, and comfort food.
• It pairs well with Indian flatbread like roti or rice.
• Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly recipe.

Ingredients for Lauki Ki Sabzi

• Lauki (bottle gourd): I have used 1 medium lauki, about 500 grams (appx 3.5 cups when chopped), in this recipe. 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 easily 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.
• Curry leaves: Adding curry leaves gives a unique flavor to this lauki sabzi. I definitely suggest not skipping it.
• Onion: Use finely chopped onions which forms 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.
• Oil: I used coconut oil, you can use any cooking oil.
• Dry spices: I used turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and amchur powder. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.
• Coriander leaves: are used for flavor and garnishing.

How to Make Lauki Ki Sabzi Recipe?

Preparing the Lauki/Bottle Gourd

Wash the bottle gourd 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.

Instant Pot Method

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, and let them splutter.

Then add minced ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute for a few secs.

Add chopped onions. Saute till the onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add tomatoes and all the dry spices like turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook for two minutes or till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Then add the lauki pieces and 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.

Remove lid away from you, squeeze lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Mix well.

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

Instant pot Lauki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry) recipe is ready, serve hot with chapatis, roti & parathas.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

Follow the same process mentioned above for Instant Pot. Give 1-2 whistles and let the pressure 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, phulka, or steamed rice. You can also serve along with lentils of your choice like dal tadka, masoor dal, and 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 container 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 & Variations 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. 
• Add dal - You can also add lentils like chana dal, 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.
• 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.
• Spices: You can increase or decrease spices according to your preference.Spices: You can increase or decrease spices according to your preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Indian Lauki Recipes

• Lauki Chana Dal
• Lauki Soup
• Lauki Paratha
• Lauki Raita
• Lauki Kurma
• Lauki Kheer

More Indian Vegetarian Curry Recipes

• Black Eye Pea Curry (Lobia Curry)
• Paneer Butter Masala
• Chickpea Coconut Curry
• Rajma Masala
• Navratan Korma (Vegetable Korma)
• Zucchini Stir Fry
• Mushroom Masala

If you’ve tried this lauki ki sabzi recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!

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