Bottle gourd/ Louki/ Ghia with Moong dal recipe for baby

Sharing recipe having bottle gourd (lauki) as one of the main ingredients. This gives different ways to introduce the bottle gourd in the baby food chart. Further, the protein rich moong dal makes the recipe healthy and tasty for toddlers.

Bottle gourd (lauki) is high in vitamins and minerals. It has high water and fibre content that is good for digestion. This food recipe is a meal for lunch/dinner.

Recipe Time: 25 mins

Preparation: 15 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Medium-sized bottle gourd – ½
• Moong Dal (yellow) – 2 tbsp
• Ghee (for tadka) – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Asafoetida (Hing) – a dash
• Roasted cumin seeds (powdered) – a pinch
• Salt – a pinch
• Water – 120 ml

How to Make

• Soak the moong dal in warm water for 15 mins.
• Peel the bottle gourd and cut it into small cubes.
• Wash the vegetable and moong dal thoroughly with plain water.
• Take the pressure cooker and set it up for heating.
• Add ghee and asafoetida.
• On cracking of the asafoetida add cumin seeds and turmeric powder.
• Add moong dal to the tadka and give it a quick stir for 2 mins.
• Now add the bottle gourd and stir for another 2 mins.
• Add water and salt to the mixture and close the lid.
• Take two whistles and simmer the flame.
• Leave it for 6 mins and turn off the flame.
• Sieve or mash the recipe to a puree form.
• The healthy and tasty bottle gourd dal is ready to serve.

Useful Tips

• Do taste the recipe so prepared before feeding it to the baby.
• Serve the lauki dal recipe warm otherwise it will start getting thick.
• This recipe is best to introduce from 10 months and onwards. This is because by that age the baby’s digestive system starts accepting the new solid food.
• Select the bottle gourd that has light green skin without blemishes. Choose medium-sized slim bottle gourd. The vegetable is bottle-shaped or round. If using round-shaped bottle gourd, a wedge of it is sufficient for the recipe.
• Taste raw bottle gourd before using in the recipe to check its bitterness. If bitter avoid using the vegetable.
• Cumin seeds give a nice aroma to the dish and mostly liked by babies.
• Store the roasted cumin seeds in an airtight container. The powdered form makes the cumin seeds easily chewable.
• Preferably add spices to the recipe after one year age of the baby. This is also recommended by the paediatricians.
• Alter the proportion of ingredients in the recipe as per the baby’s requirement.
• Always check with your paediatrician before giving any new food to the baby.