Lauki Ka Bharta Recipe
Lauki Ka Bharta is a delicious Indian curry prepared using grated bottle gourd, tomatoes, and a few spices. Make it using my easy recipe in under 30 minutes.
Try some of my favorite lauki recipes: Lauki Chana Dal, Lauki Tamatar Ki Sabji, Lauki Halwa, Lauki Kofta Curry.
A Quick Look At This Lauki Ka Bharta Recipe
Flavor Profile: Light, earthy, and subtly spiced — a mashed bottle gourd dish cooked with onions, tomatoes, and aromatic Indian spices for a wholesome comfort food.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Cuisine: North Indian
Course: Main Course / Side Dish
Diet: Vegetarian
Skill Level: Beginner
Equipment: Heavy-Bottom Pan or Kadai, Grater, Spatula
Why You’ll Love It: This simple yet flavorful bharta is nutritious, easy to digest, and ready in under 30 minutes. It’s light enough for everyday cooking, full of comforting homestyle flavors that pair beautifully with roti or dal-chawal.
About Lauki Ka Bharta
Lauki Ka Bharta is a popular North Indian recipe where tender fresh lauki (bottle gourd) is cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and basic spices.
It is one of my favorite ways to make lauki for my family. Since the vegetable is unrecognizable after grating and cooking with spices, they eat it without any objection.
This sabji is easy to make, needs simple everyday ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes.
It is similar to Baingan Bharta, but lauki is not roasted like the eggplant. Instead, it is peeled and grated to cook along with other ingredients.
Serve lauki bharta with dal rice or dal roti for your everyday Indian meal.
Ingredients
Lauki (Bottle Gourd) – When buying a bottle gourd, ensure it is firm and free from bruises or black patches on the skin.
Spice Powders – This recipe utilizes basic spice powders, including coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, and roasted cumin powder.
Oil – Use mustard oil to make bharta for the best taste. If it’s unavailable, you can use any cooking oil or ghee as an alternative.
Others – You will also need cumin seeds, asafetida (also known as hing), red onions, ginger, garlic, fresh tomatoes, green chilies, salt, lime juice, and fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro).
Skip adding asafetida for a gluten-free recipe.
You can avoid adding garlic and onions to make a no-onion, no-garlic lauki bharta.
Adjust the green chilies to suit your desired level of spiciness for the lauki ka bharta.
Add green peas (matar), spinach (palak), or fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) for an added taste.
How To Make Lauki Bharta Recipe – Step By Step
Step 1: Wash and peel a small lauki. Grate it using a medium grater. You will need 300 g of grated lauki.
Step 2: Heat 3 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon of asafetida, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Step 4: Add 1 cup of finely chopped red onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Add 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 6: Now add 1 cup of grated tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of chopped green chilies, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Step 7: Add the following ingredients and mix well.
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Step 8: Add grated lauki and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 9: Reduce the heat to low.
Step 10: Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 11: Check for salt and add more if needed.
Step 12: Now add the following ingredients and mix well.
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Step 13: Serve hot.
Pro Tip By Neha
Instead of using raw grated lauki in this recipe, you can peel the lauki, cut it into pieces, and boil it with some water until it is softened. Then, mash and add to the masala. This process will slightly change the taste of the bharta. You can try it for a change.
Storage Suggestions
Lauki Ka Bharta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in a pan or microwave until hot before serving.
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Lauki ka Bharta Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 grams bottle gourd (lauki) (peeled and grated)
- 3 tablespoons mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 1 cup finely chopped red onions
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup grated tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and asafetida and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add tomatoes and green chilies and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add grated lauki and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Now add lime juice, garam masala powder, and cilantro and mix well. Serve hot.
Do I need to shred the excessive water from the grated lauki or could put that too?
You can put that too.
You can put the water.