Lau Ghonto

Laaau Ghonto ( gourd )


This is a TYPICAL bengali dish, and a HUGE favourite.. though most other communities don't like this vegetable. I maintain benglalis are the only people who know how to really bring out the full flavour of gourds


The devil here is in cutting up the gourds, so I don't really recommend it if you are impatient in the kitchen, or don't like cutting vegetables.. but really the end result is worth it. There is a variant of this dish with shrimps as well, will post that later once I am a bit more practised :)




Ingredients: 


Gourds (try and get nice young ones :( ) 
Bay leaf(optional), ginger ( powder or paste) cumin seeds, coriander leaves, green chillies(last two again optional) 
Turmeric, cumin powder, salt and sugar


 Cut the gourds ( this is a HORRID activity) One can make it easier in this way:
a) Use a nice big meat cleaver.
b)Cut the gourd, which is basically cylindircal into smaller cylinders. Now cut each cylinder  into quarters. 
c) Take a smaller knife- those onion paring knives are fine- and scoop out the flesh. Cut each strips of flesh into small pieces
I think.. one could try using a grater as ell, once the quartering is done.. might try coarse grating next time


an AWFUL activity, but honestly I love the vegetable.


Process:
1) Heat some oil, and then do the standard bong method, of frying cumin seed and bay laf, one done throw in the green chillies.
2)put in the gourd, then the ginger paste or powder, the turmeric, cumin seed salt and sugar. stir this in QUICKLY
The problem with gourd is , it releases a lot of water of its own and gets cooked super fast, so keep the spices handy.


Once the spices are stirred in, put the lid on and leave it for ten minutes (MAX), take the lid off, pour in some milk (this is optional) stir it again, boil off the water and turn off the heat.


Is awful , awful awful to cut gourds, but the cooking is really really easy

Sprinkle coriander leaf over it if you like


this can also be made with green peas or with boris. One then has to incorporate the additional step of cooking these extra ingredients before the gourd. As a result, my lau ghonto is always plain :)- anyway, I don't know where to get bori in Bangalore