Instructions

Method:
Grate the bottle gourd / lauki or finely chop.
Take a medium saucepan and cook the bottle gourd / lauki till cooked and soft. Drain the water well.
Whisk yoghurt. Add the drained bottle gourd/loki, salt, red chilli pepper and toasted cumin seeds. Mix well and turn out in a large bowl.
Heat a piece of coal for smoking / dhuan on the stove.
Put a small heat-proof dish in the middle of bottle gourd / lauki raita and using tongs, place the hot coal on the dish. Pour a few drops of oil on the coal, after which it will start releasing smoke. Quickly cover the dish and keep covered for at least 10 – 15 minutes to infuse with the smoky flavor. Remove the cover.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan for tempering. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds, whole red chilli peppers and curry leaves and fry for a minute or two till toasted.
Add the tempering ingredients including oil to the yoghurt mixture. Serve cold.