Lauki Raita
Fold fully cooked, cooled bottle gourd into whisked curd for a refreshing Navratri side.
- Prep
- 10 min (+20 min cooling, approximate)
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4 small side portions
About 40 min total elapsed time, including 20 min for soaking, resting or cooling. Times are estimates; already boiled ingredients need separate preparation.
⚖️ Curd may be avoided in some vrat rules
Lauki raita needs a cooling step: warm gourd should not go straight into chilled curd. Cook the grated vegetable until fully tender, then combine with curd shortly before serving. Use familiar seasonings that fit your family’s food practice.
Ingredients 🧂
- Lauki (bottle gourd), grated1 cup, peeled and deseeded
- Curd, whisked1½ cups
- Water for cooking¼ cup, add a little more if needed
- Sendha namak¼ tsp, adjust to taste
- Roasted jeera powder½ tsp
- Coriander & mint (optional)2 tbsp, chopped
Method 👨🍳
- 1
Wash, peel and deseed a fresh bottle gourd, then grate enough for one cup. Do not use a gourd with an unusual bitter taste.
- 2
Put the grated lauki and a little water into a saucepan. Cover and simmer gently until completely tender, about 8–10 minutes.
- 3
Drain excess water and spread the cooked lauki in a clean shallow dish to cool. Refrigerate promptly if not mixing immediately.
- 4
Whisk the curd smooth and add salt and roasted cumin powder.
- 5
Once the lauki has cooled, fold it into the curd with optional finely chopped herbs.
- 6
Keep chilled until serving. The listed 20 minutes is active work and cooking, with additional time needed for cooling.
💡 Pro tips
- Do not mix steaming-hot vegetables into curd.
- Keep the raita chilled and use a clean serving spoon.
Plan ahead
Cook and refrigerate the lauki ahead. Keep it separate from the curd until both are cool; refrigerate the finished raita until serving.
Common questions
Should the lauki be raw or cooked?
Use fully cooked and cooled lauki in this recipe. Raw grated gourd is not the intended method.
Can I make raita ahead?
Yes, keep the cooked gourd and curd refrigerated. Mix when both are cool and keep the finished dish chilled.