Ridge gourd, also known as Turai in Hindi, Beerakaya in Telugu, and Dodka in Marathi— the long, cylindrical vegetable studded with ridges—is a deep green, low-calorie treasure for a weight-loss, diabetic-friendly diet. Its health benefits notwithstanding, the hard, outer coating of the ridge gourd envelops white and pulpy insides which are a tasty mix of sweet, umami flavours. Turai has a distinct taste of its own that blended with certain flavours like the smokiness of poppy seeds or spiciness of dried red chillies can make for lip smacking recipes.
Turai or ridge gourd is a part of most regional Indian daily diets. It is an appropriately economical vegetable too, such that every part of the turai can be used to make different dishes. While the skin is popularly used to make chutney, turai seeds are often incorporated into raitas and the fleshy interiors are a great core ingredient for curry. Read on below to know more about the different recipes that can be concocted using this highly versatile vegetable:
Beerakaya Curry
Known as beerakaya in Telugu, this ridge gourd curry is a simple but very delicious and popular dish from Andhra Pradesh. To be had with plain, steamed rice or roti, it becomes a rich source of essential vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium. Tempering cumin, curry leaves, mustard pods in a pan, ridge gourd is then fried in this aromatic mix for a few minutes before adding tomatoes and chilly to arrive at a light, mushy mixture. The tang from the tomatoes and the flavour of red chilly powder, turmeric and the vepudu karam or spice powder add a supreme deliciousness to this onion-free recipe.
Ridge Gourd Chutney
Made from the skins of the turai or dodka, this is a popular side dish in most Indian cuisines, each with a distinct recipe. It is a great accompaniment with roti-sabzi as well as with idli and dosa. The peeled outer layer is sautéed lightly and mixed with green chillies, sesame seeds, a bit of dried grated coconut and some hing to give it a bouncy flavour. Ridge gourd peels are exceedingly healthy and great sources of fibre, and the chutney just makes them yummy enough to devour.
Ridge Gourd and Amaranth Saag
This Bengali variation brings together two green vegetables for a combination rich in fibres and antioxidants that lowers cholesterol, boosts iron levels and reduces digestive issues. The amaranth also gives more texture and volume to the subzi. A bit of garlic paste added to a tempering of cumin, chilli and turmeric along with garam masala enhances the flavour of the vegetables. And a coriander garnish just makes this nutritious dish utterly tempting.
Turai And Moong Dal
This is a well-known Gujarati dal, simply made by adding a bit of steamed turai to the usual recipe of moong dal cooked in healthy, coconut oil. The yellow moong dal is a good second class source of protein, especially beneficial for cardiovascular health. Turai is also a great fat burner, low on calories and carbohydrates. The moong dal with turai can be eaten with a bajra or jowar roti to enhance the nutrition components of the meal, or can be consumed by itself like a lentil soup.
Turai Stir Fry
This is perhaps the easiest way to enjoy turai and retain its original flavour by simply blanching the vegetable and stir frying it in a bit of oil, mustard seeds and dried red chillies. A sprinkle of freshly grated coconut serves as an adequate garnish to this complete meal, a perfect addition to a weight loss regime. Throwing in a dash of udad dal to the tempering mustard can also give the dish a nice crunch.