Sorakaya Kobbari Karam:
Today I have a simple side dish to serve with any South Indian meal. It is made with bottle gourd/ lauki/ sorakaya. This is one vegetable that is found all year long in all Indian & Asian supermarkets. I always end up buying a lauki on all of trips to the Indian store. I have included some recipe ideas with it at the end of the post. This recipe is from a Telugu cooking show.
Other vegetables suitable to use with kobbari karam:
If you don’t have lauki to make this curry, then try one of these vegetables instead:
ZucchiniPeppers (any color will work)Bitter gourd (kakarakaya)EggplantRidge gourd (beerakaya)Tindora (dondakaya)Cabbage
Coconut based spice paste:
The spice paste is freshly made and added to the curry. There are 4 simple ingredients in the spice paste:
Fresh or frozen Coconut (thaw if frozen)Dry red chiliesTamarind paste Cumin seeds
All of the above ingredients are ground into a smooth paste and then cooked with bottle gourd until all the flavors mingle.
Quick & Easy Lauki Recipe:
As a said before this is a very simple and easy to make dish. I cook the bottle gourd in the microwave for a few minutes to par cook them. This expedites the cooking process quite a bit. While the veggies are cooking, make the spice paste ready. Add it to the simmering veggies and cook for a few more minutes. You can add more water to make the curry with gravy or make it dry. Either way, it tastes good and pairs well with rice or roti.
Recipe Ideas with Bottle gourd/ Lauki/ Sorakaya:
Sorakaya Pesarappu Podi Kura (Dry curry)Lauki Paratha (flat bread)Sorakaya thokku pachadi (chutney)
