Lauki (Bottle gourd) ka Raita

As I have seen many posts of lauki's raita, I found them as mild, almost neutral in taste. To add more flavor to it, I just added split mustard seeds and its really turned out into a delicious taste. This raita can go well with thepla or parathas and also as a side dish of a main course dishes of traditional meal.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup grated lauki (bottle gourd)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon split mustard seeds (Rai daal) 
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (or malai)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (lightly roasted cumin and then ground to a coarse powder)
• 2 tablespoon Peanut powder (coarse)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped green chili
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger juice
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 tablespoon cilantro (hara dhania)
• 2-3 curry leaves
• 1-2 red chili
• 1 pinch Asafetida
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Salt on taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:

• Boil the grated lauki in one cup of water for 5 minutes. Then, strain the water and allow the lauki to cool. When cool, squeeze out all the excess liquid from boiled lauki and keep aside.
• Mix the split mustards seeds in 1 teaspoon of water, stir continuously and mix it well and keep aside.
• Mix well the heavy cream in the yogurt. Then, add split mustard seeds, cumin seeds powder, Peanut powder, green chili, ginger juice, salt, sugar, onion, cooled lauki and stir and Mix well.
• Keep in the Refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• For the tempering, heat the oil, add mustard seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the curry leaves, red chili and sauté it for few seconds.
• Then, pour this tempering over the yogurt mixture and mix well.
• Garnish raita with cilantro and serve.

Additional Notes:

• You can make the radish raita using the same procedure just no need to boil the radish. Simply squeeze out the water from grated radish.