Lauki, or bottle gourd, is often an underrated vegetable tagged as bland. While many people adhere to the same lauki sabzi without experimenting much, it is less known that this versatile vegetable has much more to offer. Filled with water content, fibre, and essential nutrients, lauki is light on the stomach but filling, which makes it ideal for both day-to-day cooking and also experimenting with it into a new variety. The subtle flavour of lauki beautifully combines spices, grains, and even dairy products like paneer, allowing it to be incorporated into diverse dishes, ranging from savoury to sweet and snack options.
Exploring beyond the usual, lauki can surprise your palate with its versatility in both Indian and fusion cooking. Whether it is a crisp snack, a dal, or a dessert, these recipes display lauki in a new version, demonstrating that the humble vegetable deserves a lot more room in your kitchen. Here are five lauki dishes you didn’t know you could make.
Lauki Paratha
Lauki paratha is a healthy and flavourful twist to the regular parathas, prepared from grated bottle gourd or lauki mixed with wheat flour along with some spices, herbs, and a touch of curd (optional) for making a soft dough. The lauki keeps the paratha soft and tender, giving a mild sweetness that perfectly balances the spices such as cumin, green chillies, and ajwain. When cooked on a tawa with ghee or oil, lauki paratha turns golden and slightly flaky from the edges while remaining soft inside. Nourishing, light, and scrumptious, you can pair lauki parathas with curd, pickle, or any seasonal chutney for a satisfying meal.
Lauki Thepla
It is a Gujarati-inspired dish that mixes grated lauki with whole wheat flour, seasonings, and spices to make a soft, thin paratha-like snack. Unlike the plain theplas, the addition of lauki gives it a mild sweetness, moisture, and softness to the dough, which makes the theplas more pliable for longer. The flavour is subtly spicy, which is gentle on the notes, making it a great travel-friendly snack as well. Lauki theplas can be enjoyed with curd, pickle, or even a cup of chai, delivering a nutritious, filling, and innovative way to use lauki apart from the regular curries.
Lauki Kheer
A twist to the traditional desserts, lauki kheer is prepared by boiling grated bottle gourd in milk, sugar, and some cardamom until it turns creamy, soft and tender. The lauki melds with the milk, creating mild sweetness and smooth texture without overpowering the taste. Garnished with dry fruits, lauki kheer is light, full of flavours, and has cooling properties, unlike other heavier milk-based sweets. It is also a festive favourite or loved as a soothing after-meal treat, displaying how lauki can be turned into sweet dishes.
Lauki Chana Dal
It is a protein-packed dish which is prepared by adding chopped bottle gourd with soaked chana dal and cooked in a simple seasoning of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and some mild spices. The chana dal gives a firm, nutty flavour, whereas lauki melts in the curry with a mild sweetness that creates a perfect balance of textures. The dish is wholesome and subtly spiced, which makes it comforting to eat when you want to eat something light. Served with rice or chapati, lauki chana dal is a home-style meal that’s filling, light on the stomach, and high in nutritional value.
Lauki Handvo
Handvo is a savoury Gujarati cake, which is usually prepared with mixed lentils, but when adding lauki to it, it is what makes it an innovative dish. Grated bottle gourd is mixed with rice-dal batter, curd, spices, and some sesame seeds, then baked or cooked in a pan until it turns golden and crispy from the outside but remains soft from the inside. The lauki helps in keeping the cake soft while balancing the spice and tang of the rice-dal batter. Served with chutney, lauki handvo is a wholesome tea-time or breakfast option that has a nutty crunch of sesame and the goodness of lauki.