Bottle Gourd Curry in Milk

It takes all sorts to make the world, doesn't it? The Botany graduate that I am, hidden inside the HR professional, I know that the rule applies as easily to vegetables as it does to humans. I meet many people everyday. Some of them are extremely docile, some are loud, some bubbly, some shy. Then there are those who quietly go about their day, finishing their tasks with no noise, no hullaballoo. They blend easily in any evironment, don't stand out at all, and can even be quite invisible. Quite like the bottle gourd.

Everyone, well almost everyone, I know hates this vegetable. According to me, hate is a very strong word and people use it without really knowing what it means. So, I think they really dislike this vegetable while thinking that they hate it. S and I are rather indifferent to this vegetable. What that means is that when it is in season, we buy it every week. We just don't miss it in the months that it is not available.

This is a side dish that is made at S's place and I made it with the recipe from S's sister.

1 1/2 cups Bottle Gourd, peeled and diced

1 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Urad Dal

1/4 tsp Chana Dal

1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

2 Green Chillies, slit

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seed Powder

7-8 Curry Leaves

1/3 cup Milk

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a vessel. Add the urad dal and chana dal. When the urad dal turns golden, add the mutard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and green chillies. Add the bottle gourd pieces and salt and cook for a few minutes. Add the milk and cover and cook over a low flame until the bottle gourd pieces are cooked. Add the sesame seed powder and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and take it off the flame

I had never eaten this before, nor had I eaten any dish made this way. I quite enjoyed the flavours of this unusual dish. Day to day food for so many people, completely unique to me. I wonder what my fellow marathoners, Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Lakshmi, Lakshmi Venkatesh , Sripriya, Viji, Kamalika, DK, and Pavani think!