Food Talk
Three-in-one treat
The refreshing lauki ke lachhe is a delightful dish that can be enjoyed hot as well as cold
Pushpesh Pant

With the advent of summer, squash vegetables make their appearance on the grocer’s shelves. Parval, tinda, torai, ghiya are no longer unaffordable luxuries but friends in need. These vegetables are rich in water content, low in calories and can be wonderfully refreshing. The problem is that except one or two regional favourites, they suffer from their association with physician’s prescription. Considered suitable only for those with weak digestion and insipid, these are usually avoided by food lovers.

At the other extreme are the gourmet who insist on transforming these into bharwan and musallam or dum delicacies where the rich stuffing or the elaborate garnishes make recognition impossible — the suitable-for-scorching-summer vegetables flounder as they mimic non-vegetarian classics. We must confess in the same breath that there is a need to experiment and improvise to effect an image makeover enabling parval-ghiya et al to regain lost ground. This week’s recipe turns a light dessert into a delightful salty subzi. Purists may frown but we feel all those inhabiting the Gangetic plains, arid sands in Rajasthan will gladly adopt this.

Lauki ke Lachhe

Ghiya/lauki (small in size and tender) 1 kg
Paneer/tofu 200g
Olive oil 1 tsp
Green chillies 2-3
Fresh ginger 2 inch piece
Sprouted black gram (coarsely ground) 1/2 cup
Potato (boiled, peeled and diced) one
Thick curd (whipped) ½ cup
Freshly ground, roasted cumin (powdered) ½ tsp
Green cardamom (powdered) ½ tsp
Lemon juice (optional) 1tsp
A pinch of black rock salt
A sprig of fresh mint leaves
A sprig fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Peel and grate the ghiya after removing the seeds. Steam for two minutes and keep aside. Scrape, wash and grate the ginger. Deseed the chillies. Clean, wash and chop coriander and mint. Grind to obtain green masala paste. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and put the diced paneer/tofu in it and stir fry on high flame for two minutes. Add the green paste, and then, the sprouted black gram and continue stir-frying for another minute. Now put in the rock salt. Finally, add the grated and steamed ghiya. Mix well and blend. Remove from heat. Separately, put the potatoes in the curd in a plate or shallow bowl. Sprinkle powdered spices and spread as base on a plate. Pour the cooked vegetables on top, adjust seasoning. Enjoy hot or cold. It is actually a three-in-one delight-subzi, salad and raita.

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