• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Piping Pot Curry logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Indian
    • Cooking 101
  • Resources
    • Amazon Store
    • Indian Spices
    • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Accessories
    • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Instant Pot 101
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Meal Plan
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Instant Pot
  • Resources
  • About
×

Home » Recipes » Vegetables

Lauki / Bottle Gourd / Opo Squash Curry - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Published June 7, 2017 Updated November 10, 2021 By Meeta Arora 26 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

266 shares
Jump to Recipe
Bottle Gourd Curry (Lauki) in a bowl with roti and ghee
Bottle Gourd Curry (Lauki) in a bowl with roti and ghee

A traditional North Indian Bottle Gourd or Lauki Curry made in Pressure Cooker. This curry is easy to make, along with unbelievably delicious and nutritious.

Bottle Gourd Curry (Lauki) in a bowl with roti and ghee

There are many names for Bottle Gourd.  

Here are a few I could find: 

  • Bottle Gourd (the obvious)
  • Cucuzza (the Italian name)
  • Opo Squash or Opu Squash (the Asian name)
  • Calabash (another Asian name)
  • Lauki (the Indian name)
  • Dudhi (another Indian name)
  • Ghiya (another Indian name)
  • Sorakaya (another Indian name)
  • Long Melon

Wow...this must be really popular...so many names!!

The interesting thing is that I did not eat this curry at all growing up, similar to this Ridge Gourd Curry (Turai ki subzi).  Always thought it was not tasty, as it did not look that appealing.  However now that I have tasted and started eating it, it has become such a regular in our home.  My perception has changed completely.... "It is super tasty and nutritious". Here is another variation of lauki cooked along with lentils, called Lauki Chana Dal, and this healthy Lauki Raita recipe.

This curry is a staple in North Indian homes. It is a regular for the mom after delivering a baby, especially during the first 40 days, as it is very light and easy to digest.  It is my grandfather's favorite, who only eats 3-4 very light vegetables which his body can digest easily...I am proud to say he is running strong at 99.  We are eager to celebrate his century soon. Okay...back to preparing Lauki now!

How to prepare bottle gourd for cooking?

Chopped Lauki with a bottle gourd
  • When buying bottle gourd, choose ones that are pale green in color, firm, light in weight and slender. The flesh should not be soft when pressed.
  • Wash the bottle gourd and slice the top and bottom portion where the stem is there. Discard the stems.
  • Using a knife or peeler, remove the skin of the bottle gourd.
  • Cut the peeled bottle gourd into 4 pieces lengthwise.
  • If there are large seeds, then discard them by cutting the portion with the seeds lengthwise.
  • Cut into half inch pieces for this curry.

How to make Lauki in Instant Pot?

I am preparing Lauki curry in Instant Pot, however the same recipe can be followed in a stovetop pressure cooker.

Start with heating the instant pot in Sauté mode.  Add oil, cumin, ginger, garlic and green chillies.  Once the garlic has turned golden brown, add the chopped onions and sauté for couple of minutes.  Add in the chopped tomatoes, spices and salt.

Now add the cut lauki pieces.  No need to add water to this curry, lauki has so much intrinsic water and it will cook in it.

Change the instant pot setting to manual mode for 6 minutes.  When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes NPR, which means let the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.  The center image below shows how it looked when I opened the instant pot.   Give it a good stir and see the curry in the right image.  Garnish with cilantro and it is ready to be devoured.

Lauki Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Doesn't it look delicious!  Enjoy this bottle gourd curry with roti or rice.

Bottle Gourd Curry (Lauki) in a bowl with roti and ghee

If you are looking for more punjabi recipes, check out Rajma Masala, Kala Chana, Saag Paneer, Pumpkin Curry, Karela recipes on piping pot curry.  

Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
Bottle Gourd Curry (Lauki) in a bowl with roti and ghee

Lauki / Bottle Gourd Curry - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Meeta Arora
A traditional North Indian curry, Lauki or Bottle Gourd Curry prepared in an onion-tomato base with ginger, garlic and spices.
4.83 from 34 votes
Print Save Saved! Pin
Servings: 3
Calories: 93
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Low Carb, Vegan
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 Bottle Gourd (Lauki) peeled and cut into small about ½ inch pieces (about 4-5 cups, see post for more details)
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
  • 1" inch Ginger finely chopped
  • 1 Green Chili Pepper (optional) Bird's eye or another variety
  • 1 Onion large chopped (about 1.5 cups)
  • 2 Tomato large chopped (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur) or 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • Cilantro to garnish

Spices

  • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • ½ teaspoon Garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin, ginger, garlic and green chillies.
  • Once the garlic has turned golden brown, add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add in the chopped tomatoes, spices and salt. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it. If needed, add 2-3 tbsp of water and deglaze the pot.
  • Add the cut Lauki pieces and stir well. Press Cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. (see notes)
  • Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 6 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, do 10 minutes NPR which means release the pressure manually after 10 minutes.
  • Stir the curry and garnish with cilantro. Lauki curry is ready to be served with roti or rice.

Stovetop Instructions

  • If you are making Lauki in a stovetop pressure cooker, give 1-2 whistle and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Notes

Burn: If your instant pot is shown BURN in the past, add ¼ cup of water and deglaze the pot before pressure cooking. You might have to put the instant pot on sauté at the end to reduce the liquid. 
Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai or Birdeye Chili Pepper for this recipes. Don't forget to adjust to your taste. 

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSodium: 1608mgPotassium: 294mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 705IUVitamin C: 19.2mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1.1mg
Keyword authentic, easy, instant pot, pressure cooker
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Neha says

    September 12, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    First time making this dish, it came out so flavorful, thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      September 15, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      Hi Neha - So happy to hear you enjoyed the curry!

      Reply
  2. CindiB says

    July 18, 2020 at 6:43 pm

    First time trying bottle gourd, a friend gave us two from his garden and I didn't know what to do with it. This turned out delicious! I had to make a few minor substitutions (no mango powder here, so I used lemon juice, no cumin seeds, so I had to use ground cumin), but the directions were spot-on. The gourd turned out tender and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

More about me →

AS FEATURED ON

Piping Pot Curry Featured on websites

Popular

  • 30+ Easy Indian Curries In Under 30 minutes
  • My Trader Joe's Favorites and Shopping List
  • Air Fryer Frozen Samosa
  • What Does Curry Taste Like?

Footer

AS FEATURED ON
Piping pot curry Featured on sites

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Meeta
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Recipes

  • Instant Pot 101
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Subscribe for recipes

Resources

  • Shop
  • Gift Guide
  • How to start a blog?

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Piping Pot Curry