There is often confusion in every house regarding morning breakfast, especially when children have to be fed some green vegetable. Generally people make cheela with gram flour, semolina or moong dal. But if your children or elders in the house are reluctant to eat bottle gourd, then Lauki ka Cheela is a great and healthy option. Apart from being delicious in taste, it is also ready in just 20 minutes.

Lauki ka Cheela Recipe: Do children and adults shy away from eating bottle gourd at home? Make this tasty cheela for breakfast in 20 minutes.

Materials: These things present in the kitchen will be needed

You do not need a lot of frills to make bottle gourd cheela. The main ingredients for this are as follows:

• Bottle gourd: 2 medium size (well washed)
• Gram flour: 1/2 cup
• Semolina: 2 tsp (for crunch)
• Green chillies: 2-3 (finely chopped)
• Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder: 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander: 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Oil: 3-4 tbsp (for baking)
• Salt: as per taste

Recipe: Step-by-Step Guide

Making cheela starts with preparing the bottle gourd. Keep in mind that while making bottle gourd batter, the balance of water should be right, because bottle gourd itself also releases water.

• Step 1: First of all, wash both the bottle gourds thoroughly with clean water and peel them.
• Step 2: After this, grate the bottle gourd and take it out in a big vessel.
• Step 3: Add half a cup of gram flour and two spoons of semolina to the grated gourd itself. Mix it well. Keep in mind that the solution should neither be too thin nor too thick. It has to be kept semisolid.
• Step 4: Now add chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, finely chopped coriander and salt as per taste in this batter.
• Step 5: With the help of a spoon, mix all the spices well in the batter so that the flavor gets spread evenly everywhere.
• Step 6: Heat a non-stick tawa or ordinary tawa on gas. Pour some oil on it and spread it all around so that the cheela does not stick.
• Step 7: Now pour a tablespoon of batter in the center of the pan and spread it slowly to give it a round shape.
• Step 8: Roast the cheela on medium flame until its lower part becomes light brown and crispy.
• Step 9: After this, turn the cheela, apply some oil on the other side and cook it well.
• Step 10: When the cheela is cooked well from both the sides, take it out in a plate. Your hot gourd cheela is ready. Serve it with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Diet expert’s opinion: Why is bottle gourd beneficial?

“Lauki bottle gourd has high water content and is very low in calories. Being rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, it keeps the digestive system healthy. For those who want to lose weight or want to control cholesterol, consuming bottle gourd in some form or the other is very beneficial.”
— Dr. Aniket Sharma, Senior Dietitian and Nutritionist

Its benefits for health

Usually, children start making faces after seeing bottle gourd vegetable, but in the form of cheela they do not even realize it and also get the necessary nutrition. Bottle gourd contains abundant fiber and has laxative properties, which help in keeping the stomach clean and providing relief from problems like constipation. This can prove to be a light and energy-rich breakfast in the morning.