"AL YAKKHN" Kashmiri garlic-flavoured bottlegourd

In continuation of my quest of recreating authentic Kashmiri dishes, I made this delicately spiced yogurt based dish, which has a subtle touch of garlic and has literally transformed the humble bottlegourd to gourmet level!

Today when I was making this Yakkhn, the aroma transported me back in time to my mother's tiny kitchen in Dehradun, where we all used to sit together and she would serve us Kashmiri food hot off the stove on cold winter nights.

If you are a new here do read my previous posts on Wazwan and Kashmiri spices and ingredients and if you like lamb do look up Kashmiri dhaniwal korma ,.....here is my first vegetarian recipe from the Valley.

      

"Al Yakkhn" -Kashmiri garlic flavoured bottlegourd, warm in my Nanima's (grandmother's)  hand-embroidered Kashmiri shawl

Ingredients-

• Bottle gourd (lauki)-1/2 kg, young and tender
• Cooked yogurt -1/2 cup
• Black cumin seeds (shah zeera)- 1/4 tsp
• Pure desi ghee (clarified butter)-2 tsp
• Turmeric (haldi)-1/4 tsp
• Garlic (lasan) water - 1/2 tbsp
• Cinnamon (dalchini)-2 sticks
• Aniseed (moti saunf)- 1 tsp
• Black cardamom (moti elaichi)- 1
• Green cardamom (choti elaichi)- 4
• Dry ginger powder (sonth)- 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method-

Peel the gourd and cut into discs, quarter the discs and remove the seeds like below

Add 1/2 tsp salt to these pieces, and wash well after 15 minutes, fry these pieces in refined oil till light golden.

Combine ghee, turmeric, bruised cardamoms, dry ginger powder, garlic water,cinnamon, salt, and aniseed  in a large pan and boil for 10 minutes with 2 cups water, strain.

Add the fried gourd and cooked yogurt, cook till gourd is meltingly tender and gravy is thick, sprinkle black cumin seeds and serve with fresh boiled rice.

      

                                                          "Al Yakkhn"

               I am sending this over to dear Sunita's event - Think spice,think garlic

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