Bottle Gourd & Chicken Curry

Bottle gourd is best for Diabetes, heart problems, B.P. and so many other ailments. 

•  The bottle contains 96% water and suitable vegetable for hypertensive patients. It is excellent for light, low-cal diets, as well as for small children, people with digestive problems, diabetics.

•  The cooked Bottle Gourd is cooling, calming, diuretic and easy to digest. It is also effective againstconstipation and other digestive disorders.

• Bottle gourd is very valuable in treating urinary disorders. It serves as an alkaline mixture for treating burning sensation in urinary passage due to high 
  acidity of urine.A glassful of fresh juice prepared by grating the whole fruit 
  should be mixed with teaspoonful of lime juice and included in daily diet.It 
  carries the potential for breaking calculus (stones) in body.
  

  • This vegetable is very good for balancing liver function. It is often

  recommended by ayurvedic physicians when the liver is inflamed.
   

  • Bottle gourd juice once daily in the early morning for treating Graying Hair.

  • Mixture of bottle gourd juice a sesame oil acts as an effective medicine for 

  insomnia. It should be massaged over scalp every night. The juice is useful in 
  treating insanity, epilepsy & other nervous diseases,Blood Pressure and Heart disease.
  

  • The bitter variety is prescribed as a cardiac tonic, as an antidote to

  poisoning and for alleviating bronchitis, cough, asthma 

 This recipe tastes great with hard chicken.

Prep Time:20 Minutes

Cook time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 small size whole chicken cut in to 16-24 pieces or 4 cups of chicken breasts

6-8 cups of bite size cut  bottle gourd

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 bay leaf

1 whole cinnamon stick break in to pieces

4 whole cardamom'
1 tbsp salt

1 tomato cut into 4 long pieces

1 & 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup  oil
3 to 4 green chili 
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:

I am using chicken breast. So it won't take much longer to cook.If you using whole chicken , you have cook the chicken thoroughly and might take longer time. Also I am using half portion  of the  recipes that is I am using 2 cups  of chicken breasts, 3 cups of bottle gourd,1/2 cup chopped onion,1/2 tbsp or 1 tsp garlic paste etc etc.

Step 1:

In a hot saucepan saute onion,bay leaf,cardamom in oil  until onion gets  little bit golden brown then add all the spices and 2 to 3 tbsp water.Cook it for 5 minutes.Now add chicken and  mix properly with the spices ,cook it for 10-15 minutes.

If it's a whole chicken then it might take longer time.Always cook in a medium to low heat.

Stir occasionally so that the curry does not get burnt.

Step 2:

Now add bottle gourd,tomatoes and 1 cup water.Cook until the bottle gourd gets soft and tender.Then add 2 green chili and few chopped cilantro and simmer for 2 minutes.

Garnish with green chili and cilantro.Serve hot with rice or bread.

Enjoy and have fun.

If you like to make a soup or stew with chicken and bottle gourd then  all you can do is to add 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp spices (like cumin ,coriander,garlic,ginger) mentioned above in the same recipe.