Sorekai Kadubu

Sorekai (bottle gourd) kadubu or kottige is a traditional breakfast menu item from south kanara in Karnataka state. Here is how my mom always made it in our home. This kind of kadubu is usually steamed in banana leaves, but I have used nonstick aluminum foil since we don't get banana leaves here.

Ingredients:

Bottlegourd (Sorekai) - 1 medium sized
Sona masoori rice - 4 cups
Salt - to taste

Method:

- Wash and soak rice in water for about 4-5 hours
- Peel the bottlegourd and grate or make thin juliennes using a mandoline slicer
- Grind the rice into a thick smooth paste. This should not be watery
- Mix in the bottlegourd and salt
- Place water in a steamer (or dhokla cooker) and let it heat
- Meanwhile, take a rectangle pice of nonstick aluminum foil and pour 2 small ladle of batter and fold it from all the 4 sides
- Keep it inside the steamer. Repeat with remaining batter
- Steam for about 30 mins in high heat
- Remove foil covers from kadubu pieces
- Serve hot with ghee, grated jaggery and red chili chutney