Lauki Raita/Bottle Gourd Raita

Lauki Raita /Bottle Gourd Raita Recipe | Learn how to make Lauki Raita

Lauki Raita is a delicious, easy to make and nutritious raita that we have it as an accompaniment with meals.

It is consumed as a side with main meal like Dal Rice or Roti Subzi combo. It is filling on it's own and I love to have it on days when I am fasting or don't feel like eating anything.

Lauki Raita keeps the tummy and keeps the hunger pangs away. Yogurt and Bottle gourd provide all the essential ingredients to my body while fasting and during summers when there is fluid loss due to lot of perspiration.

I believe fasting doesn't mean depriving the body of food, but to give break to our digestive system even now and then for cleansing. So it very important to eat right and light while on and after fast.

Lauki/Bottle Gourd Benefits

Lauki is known by different names in India as well. Doodhi, Calabash, White flowered Gourd, New Guinea Bea are some of the other known names. It is cultivated countries with Tropical climates. It is a very common vegetable used in Indian homes.

Though is almost mid of Oct. and in many parts of world are celebrating Fall, but it is still very hot in Delhi. In this hot and humid climate I love to have chilled yogurt preparations to cool my mind and body. Lauki and Curd both have soothing cooling effect on body and are very filling.

Lauki is Bottle Gourd is a summer vegetable, though now it is available almost entire year. It is has about 90% of water content and minerals needed for the body. So it is an obvious choice for meals during harsh summers in India. Different Lauki preparations are also consumed during fasting days as it is considered a Sattvic vegetable. I make Lauki Ki Subzi, a vegetable preparation with bottle gourd without onions and garlic for meals on regular days and also on days whenever I am fasting.

Lauki is also considered a detox veggie, people who go on detox diets consume the juice and soup.

Lauki Ki Launji is another popular dessert/fudge from Northern India that people make during fasting and festival time. (will soon update the recipe).

Do checkout Lauki Chana Dal and Lauki ke Kofte from my blog if you want to use lauki in delicious way.

Navratri Fasting Food

Tagging Lauki Ka Raita to my Facebook group, Healthy Wealthy Cuisine, where the theme this week is Navratri Fasting Food.

Navratri is an auspicious 9 days festival celebrated across India in different ways as per the state and tradition. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

In Northern India, people fast for 9 days( they may keep all or the nos. may vary) and abstain eating grains, eggs and other non-veg or Tamasic food with garlic and onions (As recommended by Ayurveda and traditional literature). Gluten-free flours like buckwheat and other ingredient like sago are used. Detailed post on Navratri is long due and hopefully shall do it very soon.

Some of the recipes for fasting from my blog-

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Vada

Air-fired Sabudana Vada

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Vrat ke Aloo

Aloo Makhana Kaju Pops

Sama Rice Pulao(Barnyard Millet Khichdi)

Vrat ki Kadhi

Sama ke Chawal aur Gajar ki Kheer

Makhana Panjiri

Vrat ki Papdi Chaat and many more..

Ingredients for Lauki Ka Raita

Lauki/Bottle Gourd- Choose soft and fresh bottle gourd and discard any seeds if there are any.

Yogurt/Dahi- Fresh yogurt or dahi. Do not take sour. If you feel slight sourness in curd the add a tsp or sugar. You can also use Greek Yogurt if you want thick raita.

Roasted Cumin Powder- Roasted Cumin powder is an essential condiment in Indian kitchens as we add to almost every raita / buttermilk preparation. Check recipe card on How to Roast Cumin.

Chaat Masala- You can use store bought chaat masala. But when fasting if you avoid Table Salt then you can add you own homemade Chaat Masala with Sendha Namak. Will soon update the recipe in next post.

Other ingredients- Fresh Coriander/Cilantro, Salt (as required)

Detailed Method is in the recipe card

Tips for a prefect cool and smooth raita

• Use fresh and soft Bottle Gourd. Preferably without any seeds. Discard seeds if there are any.
• Take fresh and chilled curd.
• If not serving immediately do not add salt while mixing all the ingredients as yogurt turns sour if kept for long with salt added to it.
• Do not add hot or even warm Lauki to yogurt, it will curdle.
• You can also add grated cucumber or carrots of added nutrition.

Lauki is available at Indian Grocery stores in USA. If you cannot get it, you can also use Zucchini in place of Bottle gourd.

How to make Lauki Ka Raita/Bottle Gourd Raita (stepwise pics)

Other Raita recipes from the blog

Spinach and Pomegranate Raita, Mixed Veg. Raita, Boondi Raita, Pineapple Raita, Ash gourd Raita, Beetroot Pachadi, Pineapple Pachadi

Recipe Card

Do try Lauki Ka Raita if you still not tried it. It is very filling, nutritious and light on stomach.

Also, whenever you try the recipe, I will love to hear/share your feedback or any queries in the comment section below. I will try to answer your queries as soon as possible.

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Swati