Doodhi Rassa Bhaji

I have been away from home for a while and hence away from the blog. I loved the break but I was ready to come back home and be in my kitchen.  The first few days of eating french fries and Cheesecake Factory meals was fun. But, I started missing my healthy foods, my cooking, and my chapati/waran bhaat. I should have started back up with a bang, because this dish is so not a "BANG".  Neither spinach nor doodhi/lauki have a taste to it. But try this very healthy dish.  You cannot go wrong with Doodhi and Palak. Even Ramdev Baba would approve ;)

Generally, I stop right before I add the spinach and make it a dry doodhi sabji. Man-oh-Man is it good or what!!! But, I felt like experimenting and added the spinach to make it a liquidy sabji. Feel free to try both.
I personally liked the dry version than the rassa/liquid version.

Ingredients and Method:

2 cups chopped doodhi/lauki/calabash
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Dash of asofoedita
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Dash of garlic powder
1/2 finely chopped tomato (de-seeded)
1/2 cup cooked spinach (reserve the water in which you cooked the spinach)\
Dash of paprika powder
Salt and sugar

Heat oil in a flat/wide pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds, let crackle. Add asofoedita and turmeric powder give the pan a quick shake. Add the onions and sautee. Let the onions turn brown but not burned. Add the chopped doodhi/lauki. Keep the flame at a medium.  Let sit in the pan for about 2 minutes before you stir. The reason being some of the doodhi/lauki burns and that gives it a signature taste, in my humble opinion. Now when i say burn I dont want you to burn the food but just give it that brown grilled taste. Let this cook for about 5 minutes with occasional stirring. Turn the flame down.  Add the cumin, coriander, red chilli powder followed by garlic powder. And the chopped tomato. Sautee for 2 minutes or so. Now add the cooked chopped spinach. Add a dash of paprika for color. Sautee together. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved spinach liquid. Mix well. Add salt and  sprinkle of sugar. I added another half a cup of the reserved liquid because I wanted more "rassa" (liquidy).  Let it come to a quick boil and serve.