Food blogger shares easy recipe for air-fried lauki with smoky, desi-style hummus: See step-by-step preparation

Kirti tries to make the boring lauki interesting by pairing it with a desi hummus. Read on for the detailed recipe.

Lauki, or bottle gourd, is a classic summer vegetable that is cool, hydrating and light on the stomach. While there are many ways to prepare it traditionally as part of Indian cuisines, it is not a vegetable that is often seen in a recipe with a modern twist.

Taking to Instagram on April 17, food blogger Kirti, who goes by the social media handle thevegetarianladki, shared a recipe that delivers just that.

“If you hate lauki, this recipe is for you. Because this doesn’t even taste like lauki. Growing up, lauki was the one sabzi that I would mentally prepare myself to eat. Like, no excitement, just survival. And I know I am not the only one; Lauki has that reputation. But now I look forward to eating it, not because I forced myself to like it but because I stopped preparing it the way we always did,” she states in the video.

Kirti’s air-fried lauki paired with a smoky, desi-style hummus is low in calories and rich in taste. The recipe shared below is for two servings, and contains a total of approximately 420 calories and 18 to 20 grams of protein. The detailed steps to prepare are as follows.

Ingredients for air-fried lauki with smoky, desi hummus

• 1 medium lauki (bottle gourd), cut into sticks or cubes
• Oil spray
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper
• Mixed seasonings (oregano/chilli flakes/garlic powder – optional)

For the desi hummus:

• 200g boiled chickpeas
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 clove (laung)
• 1 badi elaichi
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• A pinch of garam masala
• Seasonings (optional)

Method of preparation

1. Air-fry the lauki with a light oil spray, salt, pepper, and seasonings at 180°C for 20 minutes until slightly crisp and golden.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan and sauté cumin seeds, cloves, and badi elaichi. Add onions, tomatoes, and green chilli, and cook till everything softens nicely. Blend this mixture with boiled chickpeas into a smooth paste.
3. Transfer it back to the pan and cook again with salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala, garam masala, and seasonings until thick and flavourful.
4. Serve the hot, smoky desi hummus with crispy air-fried lauki—and watch it disappear.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.