Bottle Gourd Peppers-Lauki simla mirchi

Bottle gourd peppers, this simple yet delicious Gujarati side dish is commonly known as Doodi Tamatar Mirch Ka Shaak. Made with the humble bottle gourd vegetable cooked with green bell pepper/ simla mirch along with the pungency of onions, sweetness from tomatoes and fragrance of fresh herbs mingling with the aroma and heat from Indian spices gives this dish an amazing savour that can be eaten with roti, chapatti, paratha or rice. This simple Gujarati vegetarian curry consisting of bottle gourd and green peppers collectively cooked with spices makes it an awesome dish to savour. Bottle gourd is bland, cooling and when cooked with other spices; delicately absorbs the flavours within and gives a nice lively taste.

Gujarati cuisine Gujarati food is one of the most appetizing and delicious food of India. The exclusiveness of this cuisine is that it is predominantly a vegetarian cuisine influenced by traditional Hinduism and Jainism. A typical Gujarati food consists of roti, dal or kadhi, rice and Sabzi also called as Shaak (a dish made up of different combination of vegetables and spices, which may be stir fried, spicy or sweet). Gujarati food varies widely in flavor and heat, depending on a given family's tastes as well as the region of Gujarat they are from. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time. Gujarati food is majorly categorized into four sections given the region they hail from like Kathiawar, Surti Gujarat, North Gujarat and Kachchh.

Bottle gourd/ Calabash gourd Bottle gourd is commonly known as lauki, doodhi, ghiya in hindi, is a very well-known vegetable that is included in a variety of curries, gravy, cooked with lentils etc. It is a very versatile vegetable that is used in preparing savoury and sweet delicacies. This vegetable belongs to the gourd family and has a light green smooth skin and white inner flesh. It is a very common vegetable in most Indian kitchen, loved by some but hated by many.

In Indian cooking, lauki is combined with various lentils and spices in making wonderful dishes. Apart from being a fantastic vegetable, lauki also holds a place in the Indian ayurvedic medical system. Lauki is very light, easy and fast to cook, is cooling and easily digestible. Bottle gourd is also rich in fiber, essential minerals, iron and protein. Bottle gourd is low in calories and is used in making a variety of low calorie foods.

Some of the fantastic and delectable dishes made from this humble and fresh vegetable are:

Bottle gourd curry with sesame seeds

Lauki ka Salan (Bottle gourd in yogurt curry)

Bottle gourd kofta curry Bottle gourd Doodhi Halwa

Simla Mirch Simla Mirch also commonly known as Capsicum, bell peppers etc can be eaten raw or cooked. It is a beautifully bell shaped vegetable, having a glossy exterior and comes in yellow, red and green colours. Green peppers are less sweet and slightly bitterer than yellow or orange peppers, with red bell peppers being the sweetest

 Green capsicums are the least ripe or mature of the capsicums and tend to lose some of their colour when cooked, whereas the sweeter red, yellow and orange capsicums retain their colour. Bell peppers are not very hot and are used is one of the most popular vegetable served in party platter or in salads. They add colour, nice texture, are crunchy and delicious to eat. They are suitable to make stir fry dishes, baking, stuffing with delectable fillings, cooked with other vegetable to make side dishes etc.

Ingredients like potatoes, paneer, cheese, meat, rice, eggs, mushrooms etc can be combined with capsicums and cooked. Bell peppers are also sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces, of which they are often a main ingredient. Capsicums are also used extensively in Sri Lanka cuisine as side dishes. Capsicums are high in vitamins A & C, keeps eyes & skin healthy, helps protect against infections and keeps teeth & gums healthy.  They are also fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories. The bottle Gourd is regarded as a symbol of longevity and good fortune in both the Taoist and Buddhist traditions. It is believed to be filled with the nectar of health and vitality.

How to make Bottle gourd pepper – Lauki Simla Mirch:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, pinch of hing and turmeric, add lauki mix this and put the lid on and cook it for 5 minutes in a slow flame, after 5 minutes add simla mirchi, salt, chilly powder, cook this till simla mirchi is tender, then add chopped tomatoes and let it cook for 3 minutes, and add chopped coriander.Do experience the taste of this cuisine and enjoy these delicacies by indulging in making some traditional Gujarati dishes. Gujarat cuisine is definitely to be tried by all for its magnificent taste and flavours.

 Enjoy watching this video and give it a try!

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