Kheema Lauki (Beef-Stuffed Bottle Gourd)

I did enjoy this curry. That said, it was both more effort and less tasty than other ground beef preparations. If I was in the mood for a ground beef curry, I'd almost certainly turn it into kheema paav rather than kheema lauki. That said, if you're looking for something a little more mellow and with some vegetables built in, you could do a lot worse than squash rings stuffed with nutty seasoned beef.

Kheema Lauki

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 (900g) bottle gourd
• 1/4 c. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 450g lean ground beef
• 1/4 c. ginger-chile paste
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. golden raisins
• 1/4 c. fried onion¹
• 1/4 c. raw pine nuts, ground
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 c. water

Directions

1. Cut off and discard the stem and heel of the squash.
2. Peel and slice crosswise into 3"-thick pieces.
3. Cut a circle from the centre of each squash slice, removing the spongy flesh and seeds.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat.
5. Add the squash circles with the wider end down.
6. Cook, moving them around occasionally, until they are light brown (5-10 minutes). Remove squash rings and set aside.
7. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil to pan.
8. Break up the ground beef and add it to the pan.
9. Add the ginger-chile paste.
10. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat browns (8-10 minutes).
11. Stir in the salt, raisins, fried onion, pine nuts, and cilantro. Remove from pan and set aside.
12. Add water to the pan and deglaze.
13. Place the squash rings in the pan and spoon the meat filling into each cavity.
14. Cover and cook over medium heat until squash is tender (20-25 minutes).
15. Serve with rice, bread, and/or a daal of your choice.

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¹ I just buy my fried onions by the bag from the Indian grocery store in town. If you don't have an Indian or Pakistani grocery store handy, you can substitute crushed French-fried onions (although they tend to be quite a bit more expensive) or you can make your own. ^Back