Our family friend Neha, who is from the Western state of Gujarat in India, makes the best Moothias ever. They are really healthy and great for a snack or a meal. Lauki or Doodhi are the Indian names for bottle gourd. If you can’t find bottle gourd then substitute it by using zucchini. This dish goes really well with a nice spicy mint or coriander chutney. You can buy these chutneys at any Indian grocery store.
Lauki/ Doodhi Ka Moothias (Steamed Bottle Gourd Cakes)
1 bottle gourd (lauki) or 3 zucchini’s peeled and grated (excess water squeezed out lightly)
1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
¾ cup semolina (suji)
½ cup chick pea flour (besan)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Ground green chili to taste or chili powder
1-teaspoon salt
1-tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
2-3 T oil
1 lime – to taste
Seasoning
3 tablespoons of oil
¼ teaspoon asafoetida
2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds
1 sprig of chopped curry leaves
- Combine the grated lauki or zucchini, wheat flour, semolina, chick pea flour, baking soda, chili, salt, sugar, turmeric, oil and lime together.
- Mix till you have made a kind of dough.
- Take a handful of the dough and mould it into a log about 2 inches wide and thick.
- Make several of these logs till all the batter is used up.
- Place the logs in a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.
- Check with a knife to see if it has been cooked through – it should be firm to the touch.
- Cut the log into half inch slices.
Seasoning
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saute pan.
- Pan fry the sliced moothias for about a minute on each side till they get a few brown spots on them.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a stainless steel ladle.
- Add the asafoetida, black mustard seeds and chopped curry leaves
- Stir for a minute till the mustard seeds have popped.
- Pour the seasonings over the sliced mootiahs.
- Serve hot with your favorite spicy chutneys.
