Bottle Gourd with Crab

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size crab (cut into pieces)
• 2 cups Bottle gourd  (peeled & cut into small cubes)
• 1 small potato (peeled & cut into small cubes)
• 2 medium Onion (chopped)
• 1 small tomato (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder 
• 1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4-5 tbsp mustard oil
• 100 ml water

To Temper:

• 1 bay leaf
• 2 dry red chili
• 1/4 tsp cumin (whole)

Making Procedure:

Wash the bottle gourd and potato separately and keep aside. In a pressure cooker add bottle gourd along with some water and give 2-3 whistles. Remove from heat and keep aside until the steam dissipates on its own. Then drain the water and keep aside.

Clean the crab thoroughly and wash well with running water. Then rub with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.

Pour oil in a kadhai and let it smoke. Then reduce the heat and add crab pieces. Fry it on medium heat until it becomes orange from outside. Remove the fried crab from the kadhai without oil and keep aside.

Now add potato cubes into the same oil and fry until potato edges are light golden brown. Remove from the oil and set aside.

After that temper the remaining oil with bay leaf, cumin seeds and dry red chilies. When the seeds splutter add chopped onion and fry it till transparent. Then add chopped tomato and fry till mushy.

Add ginger paste and stir for a minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric and, red chili powder, stir well and fry for a minute on low heat. Add little water and stir well for another a minute.

Now add boiled bottle gourd, fried potato, and crab and mix well. Add salt, sugar and Kashmiri red chili powder. Stir well on the medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Add water, stir well and cook it covered for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and garnish with few coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice.