Bottle Gourd with Shrimp in Mustard Sauce

Lau Chingri Shorshe Bata

Lau Chingri is a favorite dish in our household. It is traditionally made with bottle gourd, but I prefer using chayote squash because it is more readily available and to me, they taste the same. To try something a little different, I added mustard paste and it tasted wonderful!

Ingredients:
2 bottle gourd or 4 Chayote Squash, peeled & cut in strips
1 lb. medium size shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. nigella seeds (a.k.a. kalo jeera/kalonji)

3 green chilies or 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tsp. ginger paste

1/2 tsp. cumin powder

1 medium tomato, diced
2 Tbsp. mustard paste, strained (reserve pulp for side dish of spinach)

1/4 tsp. sugar
Salt to taste

3-5 green chilies, slit
cilantro, chopped 
1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp. water, ginger paste, cumin powder, sugar and salt & set aside.
2. Toss shrimp with salt, saute lightly in 1 Tbsp. oil until pink and set aside.
3. Sputter nigella seeds and diced chilies in remaining hot oil.
4. Add ginger paste mixture, stir and simmer over medium heat until oil resurfaces.
5. Add gourd/squash, tomatoes and salt to taste. 
6. Stir well, cover and simmer over medium heat until cooked.
7. Add mustard paste and shrimp, stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
8. Garnish with green chilies, cilantro and ghee.  
9. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish with hot rice or chapatis.