Cooking With Ash Gourd – 2 Delicious South Indian Recipes To Try

Of all of the legends that encompass Petha, Agra’s iconic candy deal with, there’s one that’s notably fascinating. Shah Jahan requested (that is barely extra persuasive than a contemporary-day meals author making a suggestion to a Chef) to craft a dessert that is as pure and white because the Taj Mahal. Of course, they complied. The Petha is likely to be the most effective-identified sweets or dishes made with ash gourd, but it surely’s additionally used extensively in states like Kerala and Karnataka.

Kumbalanga in Malayalam, Budkumbalakai in Kannada, ash gourd is understood by totally different names together with wax gourd and winter melon. It’s not simply the petha, winter melon sweet is a delicacy in lots of components of China and isn’t very dissimilar to our personal petha. This vegetable has been a favorite in ayurvedic diets for its well being and dietary properties. The excessive-water content material (and cooling impact in your physique) in ash gourd makes it splendid for summer time. The younger ash gourd is roofed in a fuzzy coating and develops a waxy coating because it matures; therefore the title wax gourd. In Kerala the younger ash gourd (with the inexperienced exterior) is normally known as elavan (the youthful one). The vegetable takes its title from the gray (or ash gray) exterior because it matures.

(Also learn : South Indian Olan Recipe: Subtle Flavours Are The Hallmark Of This Kerala Dish)

Ash gourd does not simply possess cooling properties however can also be full of anti-oxidants and boasts of anti-inflammatory properties. It’s additionally a wealthy supply of Vitamins (together with Vitamin C, B6 and A) in addition to calcium. It’s additionally a favorite with dieticians as a result of its low on energy and excessive on dietary fibres. The secret is to not overcook this vegetable, a tip that holds good for each these recipes:

Kuvale Sassam (Ash Gourd Coconut Curry)

Recipe By Vinaya Mallya

I first tried this flavoursome curry in Mangaluru. It tastes finest with steamed rice and retains the goodness of ash gourd:

Ingredients:

1/2 kg ash gourd reduce into chunks

1 cup grated coconut

1-2 inexperienced chillies

2 dried pink chillies

Small piece of tamarind

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon coconut oil

salt to style

To grind:

Add grated coconut, dried pink chillies, inexperienced chillies, tamarind and grind till coarse paste.

Once the paste is prepared, add quarter teaspoon of mustard seeds and grind once more until mustard blends with the paste

To make the curry

Cut ash gourd into huge chunks and stress prepare dinner with salt, water and curry leaves on excessive warmth for 1 whistle solely.

Transfer the cooked ash gourd with water right into a kadai.

Add the bottom masala, a small piece of jaggery, add rice flour (combined with water) and examine salt

Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil. Add this to the curry and produce it to a boil.

Elavan Mulakushyam

_{This recipe combines dal and ashgourd}

(Also learn : (*2*))

This dish is made with younger ash gourd (elavan). I’ve tried this dish at houses within the Palakkad-Thrissur space in Kerala. It’s actually not as standard because the olan, a preferred dish with ash gourd. This one’s subtly flavoured and combines the goodness of dal and ash gourd. It’s additionally a fast repair dish. The hero ingredient on this dish is the younger ash gourd; it tastes finest with steaming scorching rice and a stir fried vegetable (thoran or poriyal) as an accompaniment

Ingredients:

Ash gourd: 400-500 gm

Tur dal: 3 tablespoons

Coconut oil: 1-2 teaspoons

Chili powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric 1/2 teaspoon

Green chillies: 2-3 (slit)

Salt: to style

Shallots: 4-6

Fresh grated coconut: 2-3 teaspoons

Curry leaves: just a few

Method:

Pressure prepare dinner dal in coconut oil with a teaspoon of coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder.

Chop the younger ash gourd into chunks and boil it with salt, turmeric powder and chili powder.

Add the ash gourd to the cooked dal and add water to carry to a thick dal consistency. Check for salt. Add 2-3 slit inexperienced chillies, with crushed curry leaves and let it prepare dinner for a few minutes

Fry the finely chopped shallots in a small amount of coconut oil until they flip golden brown and add it as a tempering or garnish

You may additionally grind the inexperienced chillies (as an alternative of dunking them in a slit kind) with freshly grated coconut, jeera and add the combination to the dal earlier than you add the shallots.