Recipe: Doodh kaddu

A light and hearty meal with the wholesomeness of milk, ‘doodh kaddu’ is a Kashmiri dish that has a mouthwatering taste of its own.

Prepared without any tomatoes and the fieriness of red chilies, this bottle-gourd dish is a healthy delight with the cholesterol-controlling properties of the vegetable itself.

Ingredients

Loki (peeled and diced into small pieces) 1 kg

Garlic paste 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Coriander powder ½ tsp

Turmeric powder ¼ tsp

Water 2 tbsp

Milk 1 litre

Salt to taste

Method

•  Heat oil in a deep pan on medium flame.

•  Add garlic paste and stir fry till it turns golden brown.

•  Now add bottle-gourd (loki) to the pan along with cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

•  Sprinkle some water and cook on medium heat.

•  Make sure to constantly stir ingredients while cooking until the vegetable is soft, adding a tablespoon of more water halfway. This technique is traditionally referred to as ‘bhunna’.

•  Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Continue mixing till all ingredients have merged well together.

•  Cover the dish with a lid and leave it to cook on medium heat.

•  Cook until there is minimal gravy left.

•  Serve it with steamed white rice.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves 4 people

Madiha Hamid is a digital media professional. She loves the food traditions unique to families. She is running a food blog for Pakistani and regional cuisines called cheflingtales.com

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 31^st, 2013.

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