Ash gourd is an ideal vegetable for diabetic patients and very good for weight control, and the best part is that it can be made into different kinds of dishes.
Gourds are excellent functional foods. They support metabolism, digestion, and hydration. But they are not precise medicinal treatments in the modern scientific sense. Ash gourd was always used in desserts like petha and halwas (served with biryanis in Kerala). In Ayurveda, the juice of ash gourd is used effectively in mercury poisoning and snake bites. Here is a recipe for ash gourd halwa (Kumbalanga Halwa), courtesy Gita Ramesh, Jt. M.D., Kairali Ayurvedic Group.
Ingredients
- Ash gourd – 250 gm
- Sugar is commonly used. You could substitute with jaggery—½ cup.
- Ghee – 3 tbsp
- Cardamom powder – a pinch
- Raisins – about 6–7 nos.
Method
- Peel the ash gourd, discard the seeds, and grate the white pulp. Strain the excess water.
- Take a thick-bottomed pan and keep it on medium heat. Add the ghee and sauté the ash gourd until it turns translucent and the water reduces.
- Add the sugar and continue cooking on medium-low heat till the mixture thickens.
- Add cardamom powder. Stir continuously until the halwa thickens.
- Garnish with the raisins.
