Lau Chingri | Bottle Gourd & Prawns Mishmash

Did you know Bengalis are pretty much obsessed with food, especially dishes that include fish? I remember my maternal grandfather going to the market every morning to buy fresh vegetables and fish. There is a distinct memory of my parents enthusiastically joining him, or other family members, for this morning ritual.

“There are so many fruits, vegetables and types of fish that we’ve grown up eating but miss now,” my parents would often say. True that. There are some products native to the region that my parents – among those who moved away from their roots for a better life – miss a lot.

To a limited extent, my parents have tried their best to follow this ritual in our adopted home, Ahmedabad, especially when it comes to leafy greens, vegetables and fish. We love our fresh spinach and ilish. And we also love the fresh, crunchy bottle gourd, a much-popular item in a Bengali palette.

A family favourite, Maa cooks the lau by itself with light seasoning. But when there are shrimps or prawns in the house, we are in for a treat because it’s time for lau chingri, a recipe wherein finely chopped bottle gourd is cooked with the seafood and served as a side dish.

Cooked without garlic or onion, this is a dish perfect for the summer months when you want a meal that requires the least time in the kitchen, has minimal spices and is not heavy on your tummy. I loved it when Maa taught me this! Such a simple, easy and hassle-free dish that can be eaten with rice or roti. I hope you enjoy eating what is a family favourite.

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