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    Home » Curry » Lau Bori

    Bengali Lau Bori Recipe | Easy Bottle Gourd Curry

    Published: Apr 22, 2021 by Pavani · Leave a Comment

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    If you are looking for a tasty lauki recipe, then you have come to the right place. Lau Bori is a delicious Bengali style curry made with bottle gourd and sundried lentil vadi. It is an easy to make vegetable side dish that is perfect to serve with steamed rice and dal.

    In this recipe, bottle gourd is cooked in its own juices with minimum spices. Homemade or store bought lentil dumplings add both flavor and texture. A simple niramish or vegetarian curry that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

    Cast iron pan with Lau bori and 2 black spoons on top

    Table of contents

    • About the recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Tips
    • You might also like

    About the recipe

    Bengali cuisine is one of my favorite Indian cuisines. I have quite a few Bengali recipes on the blog that I really love. Like this sweet and sour begun-er-tok or this bitter gourd curry or this amazing malpua.

    What I truly love about Bengali cuisine is the bold flavors. They do not shy away from combining sweet with sour, spice with bitterness and so on.

    But this bottle gourd curry known as lau ghonto or Bengali lau is a simple and easy to make dish with just a few ingredients. There is no onion or garlic in this curry. It is flavored with some whole spices.

    Focus is on the vegetable, lauki aka bottle gourd. If you are a veggie lover like me, then you will enjoy the simple flavors. Do give this lau bori recipe a try, I am sure you will enjoy it.

    Cast iron pan with bottle gourd, tomato curry topped with vadi

    Ingredients

    For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

    You need the below to make this lau ghonto with bori recipe:

    Lau, bottle gourd, lauki - choose a tender, green gourd free from any blemishes and spots. Peel and chop them into small pieces.

    Bori or sun dried lentil dumplings aka vadi - traditionally vadi made of urad dal are used in this recipe. But the ones made with moong dal can also be used. If you don't have any on hand, simply omit and make lauki ki sabzi Bengali style.

    Ingredients needed - details in recipe card

    Other ingredients you need are:

    • Tomatoes
    • Whole spices - cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin seeds
    • Spices - red chili powder, ground cumin, turmeric
    • Flavoring - ginger, green chilies, salt

    Instructions

    For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

    To make lau bori, start my frying the bori or vadi. In a medium size pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add the vadi and cook till they are golden brown. Remove them onto a plate and set aside.

    Step by step photos showing frying of lentil dumplings

    To the same pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the green chilies and tomatoes. Cook covered until tomatoes are mushy.

    Step by step photos showing cooking of bottle gourd

    Add chopped bottle gourd, turmeric, ground cumin, red chili powder and salt. Sauté uncovered for 2~3 minutes. Then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bottle gourd is tender, about 10~12 minutes.

    Photos showing the addition of tomato and spices

    Turn off the heat and crumble the fried vadi on top and serve with steamed rice.

    Tips

    • Make sure to chop the lauki into small-ish pieces.
    • You can par cook bottle gourd in the microwave for a few minutes to expedite the cooking process.
    • Add the fried vadi on top just before serving, otherwise they will get soggy.
    • You can use either urad dal vadi (preferred) or moong dal vadi. I used homemade ones that my mom made.

    You might also like

    Here are a few more delicious recipes with bottle gourd

    • Sorakaya Kobbari Karam | Bottle gourd/ Lauki in Coconut Curry
    • Doodhi Muthia
      Gujarati Lauki Muthiya (Doodhi Muthia)
    • Sorakaya thokku pachadi (Bottlegourd peel Chutney)
    • Top view of a steel bowl with masoor dal sambar.
      Instant Pot Sambar Recipe
    Lau bori in cast iron pan

    I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.

    Lau bori in a cast iron pan

    Lau Bori

    Lau Ghonto with bori is a delicious Bengali style curry made with bottle gourd and sundried lentil vadi. A perfect dish to serve with rice and dal.
    Author: Pavani
    Print Pin Rate
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    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 40 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: bengali
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons Oil
    • ½ cup Urad or Moong dal vadi
    • 1 Bay leaf
    • 1" Cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • 2 ~ 3 Green chilies, slit
    • 2 teaspoons Grated Ginger
    • 1 Medium Tomato, finely chopped
    • 1 Small Bottle gourd, peeled and chopped into thin pieces
    • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
    • ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
    • To taste Salt
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    • In a medium size pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add the vadi and cook till they are golden brown, about 2~3 minutes. Remove them onto a plate and set aside.
    • To the same pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the ginger, green chilies and tomatoes. Cook covered for 2~3 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy.
    • Add chopped bottle gourd, turmeric, ground cumin, red chili powder and salt. Sauté uncovered for 2~3 minutes. Then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bottle gourd is tender, about 10~12 minutes.
    • Turn off the heat and crumble the fried vadi on top and serve with steamed rice.

    Notes

    • Make sure to chop the lauki into small-ish pieces.
    • You can par cook bottle gourd in the microwave for a few minutes to expedite the cooking process.
    • Add the fried vadi on top just before serving, otherwise they will get soggy.
    • You can use either urad dal vadi (preferred) or moong dal vadi. I used homemade ones that my mom made.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 356IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Comments

    1. Suma Gandlur

      May 26, 2011 at 1:23 am

      Loving the addition of moong vadis. I love minapappu vadiyalu with greens and hopefully would like this as well. I will surely give it a try.

      Reply
    2. Harini

      May 26, 2011 at 1:24 am

      Interesting addition of the wadis! I plan to make some wadis this summer, lets see!!

      Reply
    3. Aarthi

      May 26, 2011 at 3:31 am

      i dont often like bottlegord..but this looks tempting..will definetly give a try

      Reply
    4. Priya Suresh

      May 26, 2011 at 5:11 am

      Omg, love the addition of moongdal vadis, fabulous curry..

      Reply
    5. jayasree

      May 26, 2011 at 5:22 am

      I saw a similar recipe in a cookery show. I will have to make my own vadis to try this dish.

      Reply
    6. Hari Chandana

      May 26, 2011 at 5:56 am

      Interesting recipe.. looks simply awesome and perfect !!Indian Cuisine

      Reply
    7. Priti S

      May 26, 2011 at 6:45 am

      I make gravy style while adding wadi ...this looks yum

      Reply
    8. vaishali sabnani

      May 26, 2011 at 9:48 am

      this combo is made in Sindi homes with a variation of spices and wadis.

      Reply
    9. Kalyani

      May 26, 2011 at 2:12 pm

      looks delicious and lovely clicks .....

      Reply
    10. notyet100

      May 26, 2011 at 3:31 pm

      have some baris,will try this sometime,

      Reply
    11. Jayashree

      May 26, 2011 at 3:57 pm

      The addition of crisp wadis is interesting.

      Reply
    12. Sunanda

      May 27, 2011 at 6:10 pm

      Lau bori is my all time favorite specially when the bori is made pf urad dal..U have a nice blog with varieties of wonderful recipe.Sunanda's Kitchen

      Reply

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    12 shares