My mother often reminisces about Lauki Ke Lachche. She says that during summers , in the evening, vendors would carry these Lauki Ke Lachche on hand carts and go from street to street. Sometimes my Nani used to make these at home. She says Nani had a special peeler made of sea shell that would help in getting long noodles of lauki.
Since she came to stay with me a couple of years back, she has been talking more about these....I guess hoping that since I make a variety of dishes, I would try out these for her. To fulfill her wish I needed a Julienne Peeler, I looked online but couldn't find one that I needed. Actually the reviews were so bad that I didn't buy.
Well, my son came to my rescue, he got it for me from Germany. Now this peeler has been with me for over a year but somehow I couldn't get around making these.
Finally today I took the plunge, however I was sceptical whether I would be able to pull it through, without any reference since I had neither seen nor tasted these.
Oh boy!! These came out super good. Mom is extremely happy.
Lauki Ke Lachche or Kapoorkand ke Lachche as they are popularly known look intimidating but trust me they aren't difficult to make, you only need a little patience.
The maths for this recipe is simple, weigh the Lachche , and take half the amount of sugar in weight. So I got 200 gms lachche from a 600 gms Lauki. I used 100 gms sugar and 1/2 cup water.
Use a mature lauki and not a tender one. Peel the Lachche only from the hard upper covering. Leave the soft pulp inside. You can use that for soups, handvo or kofte.
Traditionally rose water or kewra essence is used to flavor these. That's why they are also called Gulab (rose) Lachche.
Other Lauki (bottle gourd) recipes in the blog:
Do try this and let me know your thoughts.
Ingredients
Lauki Lachche 200 gms
Sugar 100 gms
Water 1/2 cup
Rose water 1 tsp
Method
Wash and pat dry the Lauki.
Peel it.
Now take a Julienne Peeler and create long julienne or noodles of Lauki.
Keep them straight one top of the other so as to create a bundle. Refer to the pictures at the end.
Loosely tie the bundle with thread.
Carefully wash the bundle in a bowl of water.
Take sugar and water in a wide heavy bottom pan.
Use small burner .
Once sugar melts carefully place the bundle in the pan. Keep the flame high till lauki leaves water and the sugar syrup looks very watery.
Now lower the heat and cook these for 6 minutes.
In between just try to scatter the lachche with wooden skewers .
After 6 minutes carefully turn the lachche upside down using a wide spatula.
Increase the flame to high and continue to cook till the sugar syrup dries out.
Keep on separating the lachche with wooden skewers.
Once the sugar syrup dries up, remove the bundle on a big plate.
Cut off the thread.
Sprinkle rose water
Once the lachche are cool to touch, very deftly separate them. Be patient.
Now let the dry out. This will take atleast an hour or two .
Initially ,you will feel that they are quite wet, it's alright. Just leave them.
After an hour or so you will see that the lachche have turned white as they are drying out.
Again separate them deftly.
Keep them in the fridge.
Enjoy these chilled.
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