Servings: 2

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Spinach : 10-15 
2. Oil : 2 tsp
3. Cinnamon : 1/2 inch stick
4. Black Pepper : 5-6
5. Cloves : 2-3
6. Black cardamom : 1
7. Bay Leaf : 1 small
8. Ginger chopped : 1 tbsp
9. Garlic chopped/smashed : 1/2 tbsp
10. Onion roughly chopped : 1 small
11. Green chili chopped : 1 tbsp
12. Bottle-guard roughly chopped : 1/2 cup
13. Carrot roughly chopped : 2 tbsp
14. Salt : to taste
15. Black Pepper Powder : to sprinkle

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan.
   
2. Add cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, black cardamoms, bay leaves, ginger and garlic and sauté.
3. When garlic turns light brown, add onion and sauté.
4. Add green chilli and mix.
5. Add bottle gourd and carrot.
6. Roughly chop spinach and add. Sauté for a minute and add 2 1/2 cups water.
7. Add salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
8.  Add milk and mix and let the mixture comes to a boil. Cool slightly, transfer into a mixer jar and grind into a paste.
9.  Strain this mixture into a bowl. Transfer it back into the pan and bring it to a boil.
10.  Transfer shorba into a serving bowl, sprinkle some black pepper powder and serve hot.

Note:

Normally, Bottle-guard’s taste is very mild so we have to add as many vegs as we can.

We can add cabbage/beans and peas.

Always add less cauliflower, as after boiling cauliflower’s taste is also very mild.