Bottle gourd
Bottle gourd or Calabash,
Lagenaria siceraria,
opo squash,
long melon, lauki is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. The fresh fruit has a light green smooth skin and a white flesh. Rounder varieties are called calabash gourds. They come in a variety of shapes, they can be huge and rounded, or small and bottle shaped, or slim and serpentine, more than a metre long.
The calabash was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, grown not primarily for food, but for use as a
water container. The bottle gourd may have been carried from Africa to Asia, Europe and the Americas in the course of human migration, or by seeds floating across the oceans inside the gourd. It has been proven to be in New World prior to the arrival of Columbus. It shares its common name with that of the calabash tree.
Using lauki or Bottle gourd so many dishes prepared like
kofta ,
Sabzi,
kheer,
Bottle gourd with dal,
Halwa,
Raita,
Thepla, Rasam, Juice.
Culinary Uses
1. It doesn't take long cooking time and is used in various forms all around the world. In Chinese cuisine, it is frequently used in soups or in stir fries.
2. In India, doodhi can be combined with dal and spices to make Doodhi Kootu. It can also be stir fried with onion, garlic and tomatoes to make asemi dry subzi that will go well with phulkas etc.
3. Use grated bottle gourd to make kofta curries, muthias (gujarati steamed dumplings) and the famous Doodhi Halwa.
4. In Japan, the vegetable is sliced, dried and marinated. These strips are used as a vegetarian alternative to sushi.
5. Bottle gourd seeds are toasted and ground with rice, allspice etc to make a local drink in Central America called "Horchata". These seeds can also be coated with sugar, dried and then sold as candy.
6. Bottle gourds are one of the favorite vegetables of Indians and has numerous health benefits. They are especially good for old aged people. Thus, it is consumed in juice form also.
Health Benefits of calabash:
Like cranberries, bottle gourd or lauki supports the urinary system of our body by
reducing burning sensation from high acidic urination. It also reduces the chances of urinary infection because it is alkalizing and has a diuretic effect.
It contains many
vitamins and minerals, such as,
calcium,
magnesium,
phosphorus,
Vitamin A,
C and
folate.
Bottle gourd juice or
lauki juice is popular among those who want to lose weight. All you need to do is peel the skin of a fresh lauki, cut it into little pieces, put it in a juicer and prepare the juice. Have this juice regularly to reduce your weight. As this juice is loaded with vitamins, potassium and iron, it is extremely nutritious. Moreover, this juice is believed to curb your appetite if you can manage to drink it in the morning on an empty stomach.
Bottle gourd is extremely popular for reducing high blood pressure and keeping your heart healthy.
Lauki or bottle gourd is known to combat excessive thirst in
diabetic patients.
The
fiber and the minerals in the bottle gourd or lauki supports healthy digestion and combats flatulence and combats constipation.
In Ayurveda it is also know to
prevent premature greying.
Lauki or bottle gourd juice with a pinch of
sea salt maintains the electrolyte balance in the body. This is also a great remedy for people who has diarrhea.
Bottle gourd is recommended by Ayurvedic doctors for
reducing liver inflammation.
Read More at
Wikipedia.
Recipes using
Bottle gourd see
Here and
Here, Here.
