Lauki Chilka Bhaja ... A bengali dish

Bengali Cuisine is very elaborate, even the everyday food. One of the typical accompaniment of the food is a fried dish to be had along side rice and daal. Also, known as a "Bhaja", this is usually a deep fried vegetable (or fish) by itself or battered with Bengal Gram paste.

Chilka is the skin and Lauki Chilka bhaja is the fried skin of Bottle Gourd. I have not had it any where else outside of my house. But, it tastes simply delicious... at least, people who have a taste for Bengali food will love it!

Ingredients
1. Lauki Skin [of 1 Gourd; remember, we made a lauki dish earlier, preserve the scrapped skin]
2. Poppy Seeds [2 tsp]
3. Potato [1 large]
4. Oil for frying
5. Ghee to garnish
6. Cumin [1 tsp]
7. Turmeric Powder [1/2 tsp]
8. Green Chillies [6-8]
9. Salt

Method
1. Cut the scrapped skin of lauki in julliens.
2. Cut the Potato in fine gingerly juliens. First remove the potato skin and cut fine round slices of potato. Then take a bunch of the round slices and cut them lengthwise finely
3. In a wok, heat some oil and let cumin splutter
4. Add the potatoes and turmeric and cover the wok. Let is cook for 1-2 minutes
5. Add the Lauki (gourd) skin and mix the vegetables.
6. Add salt and cuddle the vegetables to the center of the wok and cover and cook on low heat for another 2-3 minutes
7. Add the poppy seeds and mix well. Stir the vegetables and fry for a minute or so.
8. Finally, add the slit green chillies and stir in ghee and cover for another 3-4 minutes or till the potatoes are tender.
Serve hot with Daal and rice. This tastes very well with hot rice and ghee. This can also be had with Roti, I learned it from Shekhar... but, not a recommended practice :)