Recipe: Neena Gupta's Lauki Jaabar

Lauki Jaabar (or Laukk Jaa Bharr) from Bihar is a light, cool dish that should be on your summer menus. It's a medley of cooked rice, bottle gourd and milk and is served with a light tadka of spices.

Actress Neena Gupta has recreated the dish to her taste, and shared it on Instagram.

Neena may have not stuck to the classic recipe, but her 'namkeen version' is ideal for a fuss-free lunch or dinner, especially when served with fried or roasted papad and pickle.

According to one of her Instagram followers, traditionally, the 'grated lauki is fried in some desi ghee and then cooked in milk and some nuts (are) added to it.... it is more of a halwa of lauki'.

'Lauki Jaabar is made with milk,' said another. 'It's thin in consistency like a porridge.Kadhi patta had never been a part of Bihari cuisine, but (it is) adopted by people as they started living in other states as well. Although curry leaves might increase the taste for a few, it's never added in our Lauki Jaabar. Yours is quite dry too in consistency. Good attempt though'.

Neena Gupta's Lauki Jaabar

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1½ cup grated ghia or lauki or doodhi or bottle gourd, first peel
• 1 cup rice, washed and pre-soaked in water
• ½ to 1 cup milk, optional
• ½ cup water
• Salt to taste, around 1 tsp

For the tadka

• 2-3 tbsp ghee
• 2-3 garlic pods, crushed
• ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry patta or curry leaves
• ½ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
• 2 tsp red chilly powder

Method

• Add the grated lauki without squeezing the water, out into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or kadhai over medium-high heat.
  Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it too.
  Add ½ cup water.
  Add the salt.
  Cover the saucepan and let the rice and lauki cook.
  Keeping checking to ensure that there is sufficient water and the rice and lauki don't burn or stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
  Reduce the heat and add the milk.
  Stir.
  Once the rice and lauki are cooked, take off heat.
• In a tempering pan, heat the ghee.
  Add the crushed garlic pods, jeera, curry leaves, methi.
  Take off heat and add the red chilly powder and mix.
  Add the tadka to the cooked rice and lauki mixture.
  Serve hot with papad and pickle.

WATCH: Neena Gupta demonstrates how to make Lauki Jaabar.

Also see how Neena Gupta makes paneer at home: WATCH! Neena Gupta Makes Paneer

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