Al Yakhni (Bottle Gourd in a Yoghurt Sauce)

In Kashmiri, Low Fat, Under 30 min!, Vegetables on August 23, 2006 at 12:08 am

Agar firdaus bar ru-e zamin ast

Hami ast o-hami ast o-hami astIf there is Paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is thisgoes this famous Persian
couplet
describing Kashmir, not the humble ghia (doodhi, bottle gourd) of course, or al(pronounced ul as in ultra) in
Kashmiri.
Lets go back to Kashmir for a bit, away from the hot sultry environs of stuffy (at the moment) Delhi. While half the
country is drowning in floods, there has been hardly any rain here in Delhi. The clouds come raising our hopes and
then the winds just blow them away.

And the bottle gourd is the kind of mellow vegetable that sits well in this weather. Nature knows how to balance
cravings with abundance. There is plenty of good gourd in the market. Cooked in a light sauce, not greasy, not
spicy. Perfect with steamed rice. And I have been craving rice.

The other day my cousins wife was shocked that we, in this house, cook roti for both meals. Actually, I think she felt
a little sorry for meThe only roti Kashmiris traditionally had was the breads from the friendly
neighbourhood naanwai (baker). It is not that rice is not important in Maharashtrian cuisine. It is. In fact, in most
homes, it is served as the first (with dal) and last course (with dahi) at all meals. But, as in my family here, roti is
still the main course.

Kashmiri cuisine makes room for roti and breads only at breakfast and afternoon tea. And these are never made in
the house. Rice is the main staple as it is in Southern India where all the dosas and idlis, so popular even in the
North, are served only as tiffin, as minor meals.
So, with all the roti around me at all meal-times, there are times when I need to get back in touch with my Kashmiri
side. There is a deep satiation that can only be brought about by a meal of rice and curry. With nothing coming
between you and your rice mixing in bits of chunky vegetables or meat into the rice using your fingers and taking
it from hand to mouth in a loving graceful move. It is an almost complete sensual involvement the visual, the
smell, the taste, and the touch.

The use of saunf (fennel) as an integral spice in Kashmiri cooking separates it completely from the other cuisines of
North India. In fact, coriander, the most common of Indian spices, is not much used. And the coriander leaf
(cilantro), never. I think the fennel is a Persian legacy, as are all the breads from the naanwai. The Mughals were in
love with Kashmir as is obvious from the Persian couplet quoted at the beginning, and must have cooked up quite a
Wazwan with their spices which, over time, got assimilated into the local cuisine.
Yakhni is the common name for all yoghurt based sauces. I dont use the word curry here because there is no such
term in Kashmiri cuisine. This recipe for the bottle gourd is subtly spiced with fennel and dry ginger powder. It is
mildly spicy without much heat since cayenne is not used (surprise, surprise). I do, however, like to add some green
chillies (surprise, surprise!) which impart another degree of subtleness to the dish. Other vegetables that may be
prepared in a similar way are the lotus stem (kamal kakdi Hindi,nadur Kashmiri) and karela (bitter gourd). The
meat based yakni is different and uses additional spices.

Al Yakhni (Bottle Gourd in a Yoghurt Sauce)

750 gms Bottle Gourd, peeled, and cut into 1/3 inch rounds
1 1/2-2 T mustard oil

1 cup dahi (yoghurt)

3 t saunf (fennel) powder
1/2 t saunth (dry ginger) powder
1/4 t shah jeera (caraway)
1/4 t cumin
3 green chillies, snapped into two (optional)
salt

Beat the yoghurt and mix in the saunf and saunth powders. Add a cup of water to this yoghurt mix. Shallow fry the
gourd in hot mustard oil till golden brown on either side. Remove and keep aside. To the last bit of oil remaining
(about a teaspoon should suffice) add the caraway and cumin. Now lower the heat and pour in the yoghurt mix. Slip
in the fried gourd slices. Add salt and the green chillies. Add more water, if needed, to cover the slices. Cover and
simmer till done. Serve warm with rice.

Simmering Al Yakhni

Notes:

If cooking a large batch (for a big dinner) deep frying will be a faster option. Since the gourd doesnt soak
up oil you neednt worry about the dish being too greasy. Just that you will have left-over oil.

Also, to speed up the cooking, I zap the gourd slices (after frying) in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

To keep the yoghurt from splitting, make sure it is at room temperature.