Doodhi, commonly known as bottle gourd or calabash, is one of the tastiest vegetables. 

I love adding it to curry when I find them. I also love making moothia with doodhi. Moothia is an Indian fritter if I can compare it to anything Western. Made with some choice spices, chickpea flour, and chili dhoodi moothia is possibly the best snack you’ll ever have. 

It’s so yummy, especially at tea time with green chutney. My mother used to make a lot of moothia but not a lot of curry with doodhi. I on the other hand love cleaning it and pairing it with fish or prawns. Its sponge is delicious in curry and one doodhi can feed many people. 

Ingredients

1 box of frozen hake fillets. Cut the in half

1 dhoodi, peeled and cut into cubes

1 onion, sliced finely

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 tbsp crushed ginger

5 dry red chilies

1 cinnamon stick

2 pepper cloves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp jeera seeds

1 tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 curry leaf stalk

3 tsp chili powder (more if you like hot food)

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp honey

salt to taste 

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tomatoes, grated or blitzed fine in a blender

coriander for garnish

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat fry curry leaves, chilies, methi, mustard, jeera seeds, cinnamon stick, and two cloves.

2. When the mustard seeds begin to pop or crackle, add onions and cook them until they are see-through.

3. Add ginger and garlic and let that fry for 1 minute. Stir after 30 seconds.

4. Drop-in calabash cubes and let that fry for a little while with your chili powder and turmeric - about 3 minutes.

5. Add honey, tomatoes, and lemon to the pot. Lower the heat to medium and let your curry simmer for a further 10 minutes covered. drop in the stir every five minutes.

6. Add tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes or until you notice the oil starting to rise to the surface.

7. Drop-in hake pieces and let the curry simmer for another 15 minutes on low heat.

8. Sprinkle with garam masala and garnish with coriander.