LAU CHINGRI

 The recipe is of the traditional Lau Chingri of the Bengali cuisine. This a really simple recipe with minimum amount of spices but unveil a great flavor. It is a treat to your taste buds. Lau, Lauki or bottle gourd, all denotes the same element. Bottle gourd is really good for health as this has a lot of healthy properties. It helps in digestion, weight loss as well as keeps you cool in summer. So to enhance the taste of Bottle gourd, Bengalis use Shrimps or Prawns with it. Some special things in this recipe is that, I have used mustard oil, instead of refined oil. Mustard oil enhances the flavor of the Bengali cuisine. I have also used sugar at the end of cooking because a little sugar enhances the tastes.

So when you want to take a break from the spicy dishes, you can check out this amazing recipe with mild flavors.

LAU CHINGRI

Recipe:

What you need: 

• 1 lau/ lauki/ bottle gourd( medium sized) chopped finely 
• 250 gm chingri macch( prawns/ shrimps)
• 3 tbsp shorser tel ( mustard oil)
• 2 tsp holud (turmeric powder)
• 1 tsp kalo jeere( black cumin)
• 3 green chilies slit
• 1 tsp jeere (cumin powder)
• 1 tsp lonkar guro (red chili powder)
• Salt to taste
• sugar to taste

How to make it?

• Take the prawns. Clean them and then devein them.  Keep them in a bowl. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt according to the requirement. Marinate the prawns for half an hour.
• After half an hour, heat oil in a wok or kadhai and fry the prawns till they turn red in color. Take them out and keep them aside.
• In the same wok, add the black cumin seeds in the remaining oil and allow them to splutter. Add the slit green chilies and then finally add the bottle gourd. Cover it and allow it to cook until the bottle gourd turns tender. It takes approximately 15 minutes to be cooked perfectly.
• After the bottle gourd turns tender, add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and salt. Cook it for a few minutes again.
• Now add the prawns and a little bit sugar and then mix it well.
• Lau chingri is ready. Serve hot with rice.