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 1/4 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.