BORI DIYE LAU GHONTO

This is quite a common Bengali vegetarian dish done with lau and bori.... that is bottle gourd and sun dried lentil balls. This dish too was a part of a combined post done earlier. I thought of sharing it as a separate post with an updated picture. I am poor in this matter of taking pictures, I perhaps do not even have the required qualities to be a food blogger. While others use their high resolution DSLR and what not, our DSLR gets out of the cabinet when we go out on a tour. My men are least bothered about my blog, they will not help me with it and I am too lazy to learn and use it by myself. I use the shortcut method of aim and shoot with my cell phone. 

I keep on telling some of my blogger friends..... I really lack the dedication of you guys. I mean I cook with all sincerity and the rest part is a happy go lucky thing ...... what in Bengali we call 'goyonggoccho bhab.' I am not happy with these pictures, yet I decided to use them. I have an excellent brother like photographer living within the same condominium. I feel lethargic to visit him on Sundays and take some valuable lessons. Therein is my defeat. I never felt that urge to excel in what I do and remained a mediocre. Do not follow my footsteps..... youngsters.... you never can stand out.

Such family Bengali dishes have the power to take you on a nostalgic tour backwards, I see myself wearing a "tapejama" & refusing to eat any vegetable or egg, I only wanted fish & meat! You can go ahead with my recipe and enjoy it with some piping hot steamed rice. Lau or bottle gourd has a lot of beneficial factors which is consumed all over South Asia and South East Asia. It always had a top ranking place in the vegetable hierarchy made more popular by Baba Ramdev. How much of a hilarious person he is, his pranayam yoga is indeed helpful if we can do it correctly and have the tenacity to continue. I do not drink bottle gourd juice every morning but can share with you an easy, simple and yum recipe with lau / bottle gourd that every Bengali Family does. Come let us do it together.

INGREDIENTS :

Lau[bottle gourd] : 1medium
Bori[dried lentil balls] : 7-8 [you may skip or use dal pakora instead]
Green Chilli : 2[slitted]
Coriander Leaves : 3sprigs
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Dry Red Chilli : 2[halved]
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp

METHOD :

Peel and wash the the bottle gourd. Cut into smaller pieces and shred.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the lentil balls if at all. Keep aside. 

Temper the oil with cumin seeds and bayleaf, halved dry red chillies.

Add the shredded bottle gourd. Add salt. Stir and cover. It will release a lot of water.

Once it is 60-70% done, add the turmeric powder, slitted green chillies. Stir and cover again.

Once the water dries up completely; add the sugar, chopped coriander leaves and the fried bori broken into halves. Stir and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice. It may go with roti / paratha too.