Luffa is a funny name for a Vegetable that is just so tasty! When I hear the word Luffa, I think of soap and a hot bath.
Global Food Recipes
with Spices and Herbs
Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!
You missed out!
In fact, my thinking isn't that wrong because this particular vegetable isn't just a wonderful food item but at the same time a very popular natural sponge since the beginning of time.
However, the Luffa vegetables here in Goa/India are actually not known to be a bath item.
Hence, why it took me some time to make the connection at all.
Nevertheless, we have been cooking this spongy gourd type since forever.
From my family here, I only learned about the existence of the vegetable some years back.
You know India has a bunch of different languages, and so everything has a couple of names such as the Luffa, which is also known in the sub continent as Ridge Gourd, Gossai (Konkani), Ghosavala (Maharathi) and Turai (North India/Pakistan).
The plant grows further too in Africa, in the Arabs, South East Asia and even in Paraguay/South America.
Did you know that ridge gourd is used for other things?
The use of Luffa sponge was already known back then to the Egyptians and Romans.
Apart from cooking, the fibrous inner plant parts are still used in bathing accessories.
It is also used as a cushioning material, and in Paraguay, apparently they use the dried vegetable even to build houses.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how they do it, but I surely want to check that out on my self.
It appears that the skin of the plant is removed, and the inner soft sponge is kept in the sun to dry well.
For cooking, only the young gourds are used, while for the sponge material, mature dried ones are used.
We all know it to be an excellent vegetable in Indian bhaji and curries.
I would even say that the taste reminds me a bit of European courgettes, although the latter one is rather juicy compared.
After the rains, I'll surely try to grow a batch of this all-purpose, super useful vegetable!
I'll let you know how mine fared...
More like this
- Lady Finger Bhaji - Okra/Bende
- Iriel Bhaji - Yard Long Beans
- Karela Bhaji - The Bitter Gourd
- Tendli Bhaji - The Ivy Gourd
- Pumpkin Bhaji - Dudi
📖 Recipe
Sauteed Ridge Gourd
Ingredients
- ½ cup Red Lentil aka Masoor dal
- 1 medium Ridge Gourd
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 medium Tomato
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Ginger + Garlic *see Notes
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Ground
- ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Ground
- 1 Garam Masala optional
- pinch Black Pepper Ground
- pinch Salt
- 1 cup Stock
- ½ cup Coconut Raw Freshly Shredded fresh
Instructions
- Keep lentils to soak in water.
- Peel the though corner parts of your ridge gourd. The soft green parts of the skin are left unpeeled.
- Cut vegetable into half lengthwise.
- Cut ridge gourd into dice.
- Chop onion and dice tomato.
- Heat up a pan with the oil and saute onion translucent. Stir in tomato and ginger garlic and cook a little soft.
- Increase heat setting and stir in ridge gourd peices. Stir cook for about 2 minutes over high heat.
- Decrease heat setting to medium. Stir in masoor dal lentils, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, garam masala, black pepper, and salt.
- Pour stock over the vegetable and combine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally. Cook until soft or you are satisfied with the consistency.
- Garnish with shredded coconut and serve hot with fish curry rice or with other Indian thali dishes.
Notes
- Use either fresh ginger and garlic chopped fine with a ratio of (1:2) or use ginger garlic paste.
- Servings are just a rough estimate and depend on how you are intending to serve it. For a thali or Goan fish curry rice, you will only need a small quantity per person. You can serve it as a stand-alone dish for one serving too as a vegetarian main course meal.
