Try Kunal Kapoor’s Smokey Lauki Bharta in summer, the taste is such that even children will ask for it again and again.

Bottle gourd or bottle gourd is easily available in summer. This vegetable is easy to digest and provides coolness to the body. But many children and adults also refuse to eat bottle gourd. If you have the same problem at home, then this special recipe by famous chef and MasterChef India judge Kunal Kapoor will be useful for you. This gourd bharta is completely new and has a different taste. In this, bottle gourd is roasted in a special way, which greatly enhances its taste. It does not take much effort to make and it is ready in just 45 minutes. This recipe is enough for two people.

Ingredients for making gourd bharta

To roast bottle gourd:

One medium sized fresh bottle gourd

1 tbsp oil

6-7 cloves

Spices and other ingredients:

1 tbsp mustard oil

½ tsp asafoetida

Urad Dal Vadi (break into 2 pieces) – 1

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

½ cup chopped tomatoes

salt as per taste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp kasoori methi

Handful of fresh coriander (finely chopped)

1 lemon (for juice)

easy method to make

1. Roasting Bottle Gourd:

First of all take a fresh gourd. Prick 6-7 cloves well in it. Apply some oil on top and rub it thoroughly on the entire gourd. Now roast it by placing it on direct flame on the gas. Let the upper green layer of the gourd burn properly so that it turns black and brown. This gives a very good smoky flavor to the bottle gourd.

2. Steaming:

When the bottle gourd is roasted well, place it in a bowl and cover it with a lid and leave it for 5-10 minutes. It will cook better in its own steam.

3. Peeling and Chopping:

After it cools down a bit, wash the gourd with water or remove the burnt outer layer with the help of a knife. Now cut the bottle gourd into small pieces.

4. Preparing the Masala

Put 1 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan and heat it well. Add pieces of urad dal vadi in it and fry till it turns golden red. Now add cumin, chopped ginger, asafoetida and chopped onion and cook for some time.

5. Adding spices

When the onion becomes light golden, add green chilli (if desired), turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry all the spices well. Then add chopped tomatoes. Tomatoes cook quickly, so you can add some salt to it. Cook on high flame until tomatoes become soft and oil starts leaving the sides.

6. Adding Gourd

Now add chopped roasted bottle gourd to it and mix well. Cook on high flame while stirring for 4-5 minutes so that the gourd absorbs the flavor of the spices properly.

7. Last Touch

Before turning off the flame, add Kasuri Methi and mix well. Sprinkle finely chopped green coriander on top and add fresh lemon juice. If the bharta seems too thick then you can thin it as per your choice by adding some water.

serving method

Serve this delicious bottle gourd bharta with hot masala lachcha paratha, roti or naan. Make it even tastier by adding some more green coriander and lemon juice on top.

some special tips

Roasting bottle gourd well greatly enhances its taste, so do not skip this step.

Using mustard oil gives desi flavor

Keep the amount of chili in less quantity for children

This recipe is so easy and fun that once you make it, you will want to make it again and again. Bottle gourd will now be included in children’s plate also without any complaint.