Hey friends! Are you wondering what Ridge gourd is?? Before I tell you about the recipe, let me tell you what it is…Ridge gourd is a very nutritious vegetable, which tastes somewhat sweet. The reason it is called ridge gourd is because, it has beautiful ridges on its tough fibrous green skin. We use the soft flesh underneath the skin. And there is a recipe for using those tough skins as well. I will share that with you when I make it next time. To tell you about some more benefits of the ridge gourd, it is rich in Vitamin-C, Zinc, Iron, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Thiamin. Due to its good contents of cellulose and water, it can relieve from constipation. It also acts as a blood purifier. Apart from all these benefits it tastes so yummy. I need to tell you a couple of things before sharing this recipe with you. Some ridge gourds may be bitter, once you cut the ridge gourd, taste a small piece. If it is bitter, discard it. It is edible but doesn’t taste good when cooked. Once you cook this vegetable, due to its high water content, it shrinks a lot just like mushrooms do. So let’s get started!
Here is what we’ll need : (serves 2 as sides) :
- Ridge gourd – peeled and chopped into medium pieces – 2.5 cups
- Garlic – cut into thick slices – 6
- Onions – chopped small – 1/2 cup
- Dried Red chillies – 2
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tsp
Here is how we’ll do it :
- Place a medium pan on medium heat and put oil in it.
- Then put Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic and dried red chillies.
- Fry everything till garlic slices are golden.
- Then put onions and fry them till they are translucent
- Next add ridge gourd pieces, salt and mix everything well, close the pan with a lid.
- After few minutes, there will be lot of liquid i.e., the water content from ridge gourd.
- Once you see all that liquid, remove the lid and let it cook till the liquid is gone.
- Once done, taste it and add more salt if required. If you think it needs more spice, add some paprika powder, mix everything well and serve with hot rice / bread / couscous/quinoa.
Feel free to double or triple this recipe.
Eat Healthy! Live Happy!
Soumya
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