Ambi's Lauki Raita

For me, a much-reviled vegetable, lauki or bottle gourd, has been distasteful for half my lifetime. Mushy flavors, tasteless subjis made it hard for me to enjoy the gourd. This distaste finally ended with a resounding thump at my friend Ambi's house in Bombay, where she served this delectable raita. At first, I could not recognize the vegetable or the taste. After several wrong guesses, she proudly proclaimed it was lauki. You could've knocked me over with a feather. After years of avoiding bottle gourd, here I am completely hooked. 

Ambi boiled her lauki cubes, then floated them in whisked yogurt. A lively tarka of dried chilies, jeera, kadhipatta and seasonings gave it a jolt of flavor.........it will make a convert out of you. Ambi, thanks for my new favorite raita!

AMBI'S LAUKI RAITA

Serves 4

1 small Lauki or Bottle Gourd

2 cups Yogurt

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Dried Red Chile

1/2 teaspoon Jeera seeds

3-4 Curry Leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1/2 teaspoon Roasted Jeera Powder

!/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Peel lauki. Cut into small cubes so you have about 2 cups. 

Boil lauki in water till soft, 10-15 minutes. Drain well and cool.

Whisk yogurt in a bowl. 

Season with salt. 

Add boiled lauki to yogurt and mix well.

 

Heat oil in a small pan.

Add dried chile and jeera to oil. Let jeera seeds turn a light brown. 

Add curry leaves, chile powder and roasted jeera powder to oil.

 Take pan off the heat and pour contents over the yogurt. 

Mix well and enjoy. 

Avocado Poori

My sister's friend Nitya treats us some unusual Indian food in Pune. One of these intriguing appetizers is crisp pooris filled with avocado, topped with yogurt, green chutney and sweet chutney. Blanketed in sev, cilantro and pomegranate arils and served atop a bed of sprouts, these bites are a refreshing revelation in taste and flavor...in other words I planned to make these asap! Here they are!

AVOCADO POORI

Serves 4-6

15-20 Paani Pooris

2 ripe Avocados

Yogurt, whisked and seasoned

Green Chutney

Sweet Chutney

Sev

Cilantro

Chaat Masala or Kala Namak

Pomegranate Arils (optional)

Poke holes in pooris and arrange on a plate. 

Cut avocados in chunks and spoon them into the pooris.

Drop a spoonful of yogurt into each poori.

Top with green and sweet chutneys. 

Scatter sev and cilantro over each poori. 

Sprinkle chaat masala or kala namak over pooris.

Decorate the plate with arils if using. Sadly, I didn't have any, but they add a delicious crunch as well. 

Serve immediately and be rewarded with oohs and aaahs!