Beat the Heat: Bottlegourd Kadhi (Anapakaaya Majjiga Pulusu)

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Bottlegourd Kadhi (Anapakaaya Majjiga Pulusu)

About "Beat the Heat" series

This is a series dedicated to those who suffer from a constant heart burn and acidity problems. Body heat has nothing to do with the seasons. It is a common misconception that our bodies generate heat only in summers. No. the body heat is dependent on our diet in take & the body type (as Ayurveda states -Vata, Pitta & Kapha). A balanced-diet is the key here and even if you are not suffering from any body heat, it is a good practice to incorporate such cooling foods which are not harsh on our digestive systems.

About the recipe:

Bottle gourd also called as Anapakaaya (in Telugu), Lauki or Dudhi (in Hindi) is a yellowish-green vegetable, in the shape of a bottle. (hence the name - bottle gourd ;-)). It is very commonly available in India and in US, you should find in any Indian grocery stores - fresh produce section. Cooked bottle gourd is cooling, calming, diuretic and easy to digest, thanks to its high water content. It is also effective against constipation and other digestive disorders.

Ingredients

2 cups of chopped bottle gourd pieces (Peel the skin, remove the seeds and chop)
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp besan (or chickpea flour)
1/4 tsp of turmeric
salt - to taste

For tempering -

1 tsp of oil
1/2 tsp of each - urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped.  (remove seeds if you want it to be milder)
2 red chillies, tails nipped
2 tsp of minced fresh ginger

Preparation 

1. Boil 1 cup of water in a sauce pan and add the chopped bottle gourd pieces. Cover and cook until tender. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk in yogurt, besan, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of water, so there are no lumps. I use my hand as it is much more easier. Once the bottle gourd is cooked, add to the yogurt mixture, with the water in which it is cooked. Don't discard that water. Mix.

3. On medium flame, heat oil in a pan and add all the items listed under "Tempering". Let them splutter.  Slowly add the bottle gourd-yogurt mixture. Reduce the flame to LOW and cook until the raw smell of besan is gone. The key is - when you taste it, you shouldn't taste besan at all. Stir occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of water, depending on the consistency you want. 

Garnish with cilantro and Serve.

Note: This Kadhi, which I made on a Sunday night tasted great for 5 days, when kept refrigerated. I was prepared to throw the rest on Friday, but to my surprise - it was delicious. So, now I have one more make-ahead dish in my repertoire. :-)

Previously on Beat the Heat series:

Minty Stuffed Parathas

Hope you all have a great week ahead.

until next time,
Siri