Baked vegetables in bottle gourd sauce

I generally prepare capsicum sauce for my tacos, and one day suddenly this idea hit me that why not replace capsicum with any other vegetable and make sauce out of it. As I am a great fan of bottle gourd soup, I thought of making sauce out of it. I was quite happy with the results, so now thinking to try with other veggies also, and will post the recipes soon.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
For the vegetables
Mixed vegetables: 1 cup (peas, carrot, French beans, baby corn, spinach etc. probably any veggie of your choice)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Chilli flakes: 1 tsp
Mixed herbs: 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
For the sauce
Bottle gourd: 5-6 inches long (skin removed and cut into small pieces)
Butter: 1 tbsp
Whole wheat flour: 1 tbsp
Milk: ¾ cup
Water: 1 cup
Black pepper powder: 2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Cheese: 50 gms

Method:
1. Heat water in a pan. Add bottle gourd to it. Boil till the veggie becomes soft.
2. Let it cool and grind it in a grinder.
3. Heat butter in another pan. Add flour. Stir well.

4. Now add milk and bottle gourd puree. Mix well.

5. Add salt and black pepper powder.
6. Simmer till the sauce becomes a bit thick.

7. Now in another pan take oil. Sauté the veggies. Add salt, chilli flakes and mixed herbs. Mix well.

8. In a greased baking dish spread the veggies and sauce mixture.

9. Grate cheese on top.

10. Bake in a pre-heated oven till the cheese browns up. This will take approximately 12-13 minutes.
11. Serve hot.

Tips:
1. You can even boil the bottle gourd in pressure cooker.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!