The health advantages of green vegetables are well established. A vegetable with several health advantages is the bottle gourd or lauki in Hindi. Some of the names given to it are long melon, white-flowered gourd, calabash, New Guinea bean, and Tasmania bean. Calabash fruits vary in a range of sizes and shapes, including large, spherical fruits, diminutive, bottle-shaped fruits, and slender, serpentine fruits that can reach lengths of over a metre. The vegetable not only cools the body but also benefits the heart and can help with sleep issues.
Here are some benefits of Lauki-
Promotes Hydration
One of the healthiest vegetables has long been the bottle gourd. This adaptable vegetable is one of nature's best options for keeping your body hydrated and cool because it is made up of around 92 per cent water and minerals. The juice from bottle gourds, a cooling vegetable, cools your stomach and lessens the negative effects of body heat.
Aids In Weight Loss
The excellent vegetable bottle gourd aids in weight loss. Due to the vegetable's high fibre content, you will feel fuller for longer and have fewer hunger pangs, which will help you lose weight. It is also a low-calorie and fat-free vegetable. Since fibre is crucial for weight loss, Ayurvedic medicine employs bottle gourd to aid with weight loss.
Storehouse Of Vitamins and Minerals
The minerals found in bottle gourd include manganese, iron, folate, potassium, vitamin C, B, K, A, and E. These are crucial for body functions like metabolism.
Here are some bottle gourd recipes that you can have with rice-
Lauki Kofta Curry
Even though lauki may not be everyone's favourite, they can all agree on this dish. A delectable Indian dish called Lauki Kofta is created with bottle gourd dumplings (kofta) and a hot onion-tomato sauce. Grated bottle gourd, gramme flour, rice flour, ginger-garlic paste, and deep-fried koftas (round deep-fried spicy dumplings) are cooked in a hot tomato-cashew-nut sauce. This meal has a lot of desi Indian flavours and is hot, acidic, and spicy.
Lauki Mussallam
This dish has a thick, smoky gravy that's filled with almonds and raisins for goodness. Lauki musssallam is prepared by using a lauki or bottle gourd that has been marinated, packed with potatoes, and then covered in a mouthwatering sauce. Serve with rice or roti as a delicious main course entrée.
Ghiya Chana Dal
In India, a simple and healthful stew called lauki chana dal is made with bottle gourd and Bengal gramme (chana dal). There are three different ways to make it: With simply lauki, chana dal or moong dal, and potato are the first two options. Chana dal can be added to a recipe to provide flavour and nutrition without lengthening the cooking time. This dal is a perfect dish to accompany with rice.
Lauki Gosht
When meat pieces are combined with Lauki, which has been cooked into a spicy, rich gravy, a distinctive flavour is brought to life. A well-known everyday recipe that everyone enjoys eating. The tender mutton pieces are cooked with flavour-rich spices and bottle gourd chunks. The bottle gourd binds the gravy well and gives a unique flavour to the mutton. Serve hot with boiled rice.