Lau Kasha/Masaledar Lauki (Bottle Gourd in a spicy gravy)

Lau, as we call it in Bengali, in other parts of India, it is known as Lauki or Dudhi, is very low caloric vegetable and very low in fat. Because of its high water content, it's very cooling, calming, diuretic and easy to digest. Therefore, it's a great summer food. To know more about this vegetable and the health benefits, click in this post of mine, where I shared two more bengali recipes of lauki/bottle gourd.
In our family, everyone loves this vegetable and so I make it very often. Recently, when my parents were visiting me, my mom made this dish, which she learnt while travelling with a Tour Bus company, there the cook made this dish for them and she liked it and took the recipe from the cook. We all loved it and this dish became a regular in my kitchen now. You can surprise anyone with this dish..nobody will expect, such dish with bottle gourd can taste so well. 
So, without much edo, I'll share the recipe..Here is a glimpse of Masaledar Lauki or Lau Kasha





Lau/lauki/dodhi/bottle gourd : 1 
Potato : 2 (medium)
Onion : 2(medium)
Ginger : 1" piece
Garlic : 4 cloves(big/medium)
Green chilli : 1-2(chopped)
Tomato : 1 (medium)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2-3 tsp.(as per your taste)

Bay leaf : 1
Whole garam masala : 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves and 1 small cinnmon stick 
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp.
Ghee/clarified butter : 1 tblsp
Garam masala powder : 2 tsp.(make a powder of 3 cardamoms, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick)Oil : 3-4 tblsp.
Salt to taste



Wash and cut both bottle gourd and potato in medium chunks. Apply little salt and turmeric powder over them and fry in little oil one at a time. First potatoes, then bottle gourds. Keep Aside.Grate onions, make a paste of ginger and garlic. Chop the tomatoes.Heat oil in a pan, temper with bay leaf and whole garam masala. When they start to crackle, add cumin seeds, wait for few seconds, then add grated onions, stir fry till onions turns brown, add little sugar at this time, this gives the curry a nice color.Then add ginger-garlic paste, saute for 1 minute, then add chopped tomatoes, green chilles, turmeric and red chilli powder. Saute and mix all the spices properly with onion-ginger-garlic paste. Add little water if needed.When oil seperates the masala, add fried botle gourd and potatoes. Mix well with the spice. Add salt to taste. Add about 1 and 1/3 cup of water, cover the lid and let the veges cook in medium flame.It's a semi-dry gravy dish, so the gravy shouldn't dry up all. When veges are cooked and you have desired consistency of gravy, drop little ghee. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.Remove from fire and sprinkle Garam masala powder over the gravy. Lau kasha/masaledar Lauki is ready to serve.