If the words ‘lauki soup’ make you cringe, but you clicked the link to this article anyway, we know that you are serious about making healthy additions to your diet. Many of us dislike vegetables, even though we are aware that they come loaded with a host of health benefits. Lauki (or bottle gourd) is one of them. While it may not be a popular choice in the kitchen, the vegetable does deserve credit for being extremely nutrient-rich. In fact, it won't be an exaggeration to say that lauki is one of the healthiest vegetables. With a high water content (about 92%) and a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibres, lauki can be a great addition to your diet. It is also considered ideal for promoting smooth digestion and better heart health (by lowering the bad cholesterol levels).
Lauki for weight loss:
If you are someone looking to shed some extra kilos, lauki can be the perfect addition to your weight loss-friendly diet. Low in calories, bottle gourd can do wonders for your body weight management. According to the USDA, 100 grams of lauki include just about 15 calories and a negligible amount of fat and carbs. Hence, nutritional and diet experts often recommend this vegetable in our weight loss diet plan. If you can’t eat lauki as a sabzi, in a paratha, or boiled, we bring you a simple and quick lauki soup recipe with a spin of desi tadka that is a perfect balance of health and flavour. This soup also includes the goodness of tomato, which is also touted ideal for losing weight.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup bottle gourd (chopped in small pieces)
- 1 tomato (cut into two halves)
- ½ onion (cut into two halves)
- ½ tsp olive oil/veg oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
Method:
- Pressure-cook bottle gourd, onion, and tomato (1-2 whistles should be enough).
- Once done, blend the vegetables and prepare a smooth and creamy paste.
- Pour olive oil in a pan and add cumin seeds for tadka.
- Add the lauki paste to the pan and cook everything together for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot with some salt and black pepper sprinkled on it.
- You can pair this soup with bread or soup sticks and even a salad.
