Sorakaya curry (Lauki / Dudhi / Bottlegourd)

Sorakaya or Bottlegourd is available in abundance, all year round. It is slightly sweet and has high water content. Here is a tasty recipe of this simple, yet versatile vegetable!

Recipe

5 cups of Sorakaya pieces (peel the skin off the vegetable, cut into small cubes)
1 tsp urad dal
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
6 curry leaves
4 garlic cloves & 2” ginger piece (make a coarse paste)
Salt to taste
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
4 tsp sesame seed power (dry toast white sesame seeds until light brown, let cool and grind to a coarse powder)
1 tsp oil
3 tbsp milk

Heat oil in a saucepan, add seasoning of urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Let fry and add vegetable pieces, salt & green chillies. Mix, cover and cook until done - when done, the vegetable pieces should be firm and not too soft. Add sesame seed powder, mix and add milk. Mix again and turn the stove off. Enjoy this curry with rice/rotis.