Bottle Gourd Yakhni (Al-Yakhin) (Lawki Ki Yakhni)
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Fauzia's Pakistani REcipes -- The Extraordinary Taste of Pakistan

500 g (20 oz) bottle gourd, pelled, cut into thin round slices, and washed
2 whole red chilis
4 cloves (Loungs)
2 ts cumin seeds (Zeera)
1/2 ts Asafoetida (Heeng)
1/2 ts dry ginger powder (Adrak Powder)
1 ts Aniseed Powder (Pisi Sounf)
1 ts Garam Masala Powder
Salt
2 cups plain yogurt, beaten
2 cups water
2 tb oil
Oil for deep frying

Pat dry the bottle gourd slices with a paper towel.  Heat the oil for deep frying in a pan and fry the bottle gourd slices until they are slightly browned.  Drain the oil and set aside.

Heat oil in another pan until it is very hot  Add the cloves, asafoetida, and cumin seeds.  Fry on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the cumin seeds are a shade darker.

Add the deep fried bottle gourd slices, aniseed powder, dry ginger powder, whole red chilis, salt, and water.  Bring it to a boil on high flame.  Reduce the flame and keep it on medium to low heat for about 5 minutes or until the bottle gourds are tender.

Now, mix in the beaten plain yogurt and stir it slowly until it has fully blended in with the curry.  Let it boil on low heat for about 5 minutes.  Mix in the garam masala powder and take off heat.