Lau Bhorta is a Bangladeshi mashed bottle gourd dish — boiled bottle gourd (lau) pounded with mustard oil, onion, garlic, green chili, and dried shrimp into a soft, comforting, slightly sweet mash. It is the essence of the Bangladeshi bhorta tradition — turning the humblest vegetable into a deeply flavorful side dish with nothing but a mortar and mustard oil.
Bhorta (mashed dishes) are the heart of Bangladeshi everyday cooking. Lau Bhorta uses bottle gourd (lau, Lagenaria siceraria) — one of the most common and cheapest vegetables in Bangladesh. The gourd is boiled until soft, then pounded with raw onion, garlic, green chili, dried shrimp (for umami), and mustard oil. The result is a soft, slightly sweet, pungent mash that transforms a watery, bland vegetable into something deeply satisfying. Every Bangladeshi household has its version; it is the food of frugality and ingenuity.
A bowl of pale green, soft, slightly grainy mash with flecks of pink dried shrimp and green chili. The bottle gourd is mild and slightly sweet; the mustard oil is pungent; the dried shrimp add a savory kick; the raw onion and garlic give sharpness. It is the most comforting, most humble side dish in Bangladesh — simple food, perfectly done.
The bottle gourd must be boiled until completely soft (it should mash easily with a fork). The excess water must be drained thoroughly (wet bhorta is watery and bland). The pounding is done in a mortar (not a blender — the texture should be coarse, not smooth). Mustard oil is essential. The dried shrimp are soaked, then pounded with the gourd.
Variations
Some omit the dried shrimp (vegetarian); some add cilantro; some use more or less chili; the gourd variety varies.
On the Palate
Where Lau Bhorta sits in the Bangladeshi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 20 min active + 20 min waiting
- 15 min
Peel and dice 500 g bottle gourd (lau/kumra).
- 215 min
Boil in salted water 15 minutes until very soft; drain thoroughly.
Watch outBoil the gourd until it mashes easily with a fork, then drain it really well — any leftover water makes the bhorta watery and bland.
- 33 min
Transfer to a mortar; add 1 finely diced onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 chopped green chilies, and 30 g soaked dried shrimp.
- 45 min
Pound to a coarse mash (not smooth).
Watch outPound it in the mortar to a coarse mash, not a smooth paste — the texture should stay a little rough, so leave it grainy.
- 52 min
Add 3 tbsp mustard oil; mix well.
- 61 min
Season with salt.
- 71 min
Serve with rice and dal.
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