Healthy Lauki Recipes: 10 Delicious & Nutritious Dishes

“Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, ‘No thank you’ to desert that night. And for what?!”― Erma Bombeck

The American author rightly states that abstinence does not always offer the best rewards. In fact, skipping your dish doesn’t help you lose weight. It is eating the right things in the proper quantity that helps you shed that extra weight.

Summers are here in full force, so say goodbye to heavy and oily food and say hello to the water- based vegetables. Lauki is a summer vegetable, which is available in plenty during summer.

What Is Lauki?

Part of the calabash family, lauki is available in various sizes, such as long, thin and round. Lauki was earlier used as a water receptacle.

Benefits Of Eating Lauki:

Way too many people stay off lauki because of its bland taste. But behind the taste lurks a plethora of benefits that can help you stay healthy and fit. Some of the benefits of lauki are:

• Lauki is a water-based and fiber rich vegetable which provides cooling effect during summers.
• Helps lose weight and fights bloating.
• As it has more than 90% of water content, it is easy to digest. Lauki soothes upset stomachs too.
• Contains calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
• Lauki also contains Vitamin A, C and folate. Lauki juice is also good for fighting UTI infections as it has alkaline properties.

[Read : Lauki Juice For Weight Loss ]

Top 10 Indian Lauki Recipes:

Looking at the many benefits of Lauki, it becomes imperative to include it in our diets, taste notwithstanding! To make this nutritious vegetable a little more palatable, try one these recipes. These are simple to prepare and will offer the goodness of lauki to the fullest.

1.  Lauki Halwa:

Lauki in a halwa form is a match made in heaven. Now you can enjoy the goodness of lauki by scarfing down this halwa. But remember that moderation is always the key to a healthier life. It’s a fairly simple recipe to follow.

How to Make:

• Grate lauki and set it aside.
• Heat some clarified butter and add the grated lauki to it.
• Sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Mix in pre boiled milk and cook till the mixture starts thickening.
• Stir in the sugar and cardamom powder.
• Cool and garnish with nuts.

[Read  :  Lauki Juice For Health And Beauty ]

2. Lauki Theplas:

Thinly grated lauki mixed into flour for a nutrient dense thepla. These theplas carry well and are great as snacks. As these are low in calorie and full of fiber, these will help in maintaining the weight.

How to Make:

• Simply grate the lauki and squeeze it to drain excess water.
• Reserve this water for making dough or to add to any other dough.
• Make the dough with wheat flour, carom seeds and spices.
• Knead the dough.
• Roll out thin theplas and bake on the flame.

Your theplas are ready, and now you can eat them with yogurt.

3.  Lauki Kulfi:

Lauki in the form of yummy and cooling kulfi? Yes please! It’s an excellent way of using leftover lauki halwa. You only need reduced milk to prepare the kulfi.

How to Make:

• Reduce the milk till it is 1/2 of the original volume and make it cool.
• Add the milk to the cooled halwa and blend them in a blender.
• Sugar should be added sparingly as there is enough sugar in the halwa.
• Add pistachios and mix well.
• Freeze overnight in kulfi mould.
• Demould and serve for a yummy and cool treat.

4.Lauki Dal:

Lauki and chana dal is a match made in the heaven. This protein rich lentil-based dish is full of nutrition.

How to Make:

• Sauté onions, tomatoes and ginger after tempering with oil and cumin seeds.
• Add the dal and chopped lauki and cook for 2 whistles and on sim for 30 minutes.

This is the perfect one pot meal and can be accompanied by your hot flatbreads

5. Lauki Kofta Curry:

There are many variants of the kofta but most of them are deep fried and bound using potatoes. You can opt for a healthier baked version and use oats for binding. The trick lies in squeezing out all the water from the lauki.

How to Make:

• Grate the lauki and squeeze it and add chopped coriander and other spices.
• Add some oatmeal. This will soak up the extra liquid and give it some good binding
• Bake it in a preheated oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
• Turn the koftas upside down for even browning.

6. Luke Muthia:

This steamed protein rich snack is filling and nutritious. You can up the nutrition quotient by adding beetroots.

How to Make:

• Grate the lauki and beetroot.
• In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, such as gram flour, wheat flour, asafoetida, semolina, spices and a pinch of baking soda.
• Add in 1 tbsp oil.
• Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough.
• Let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Roll out into logs and place on a greased plate in a steamer.
• Steam for 15 minutes till the logs are opaque.
• Cut the logs into slices and pan fry.
• Make a tempering of oil , mustard seeds , curry leaves and spices and ladle onto the muthia coins.

7. Lauki Ka Raita:

A cooling yogurt flavored with roasted cumin seed powder.This is excellent for combating the heat this summer. Lauki also helps prevent heat related rashes and this is perfect for kids as well.

How to Make:

• Boil the grated lauki and squeeze out the excess water.
• Whip cooled yogurt and flavor it with rock salt, cumin powder and red chilies.
• Fold in the lauki and chopped coriander.
• Slurp away!

8.Lauki Parantha:

This is similar in taste and texture to a mooli or radish parantha. Whole wheat flour and fiber rich lauki make an excellent combo.

How to Make:

• Grate some lauki.
• Squeeze to remove excess water and stuff into the paratha dough.
• This parantha is griddle baked for an extremely nutritious breakfast.

9. Lauki Kheer:

Lauki lends itself well to sweet dishes due to its neutral taste. This kheer is yummy and nutritious too.

How to Make:

• Grate lauki and remove excess water.
• Sauté it in ghee and add in the milk.
• Cook till the milk reduces by 1/2 and add sugar and nuts.
• Cook till the kheer is creamy.

10. Lauki Juice:

Lauki juice during breakfast is good for the metabolism and will help in weight reduction.

How to Make:

• Peel the lauki and run the pieces through the juicer.
• You can pass the juice through a sieve.

It is not a tasty juice and I find that it helps if I quickly gulp it down.

With these recipes, you can give this humble vegetable a makeover and turn it into a family favorite! Try today!

Do you like lauki? Do you have a favorite lauki recipe? Share with us in the comments section below.