BEYOND PETHA

Whether enjoyed as a sweet treat, refreshing juice or hearty vegetable dish, ash gourd offers a wealth of nutritional benefits

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

WHENEVER SOMEONE mentions ash gourd, an image of the translucent, sugary sweet petha—famously linked with Agra—comes to mind. It is so popular that the gourd, known as Benincasa hispida in scientific lexicon, is also called petha. However, over the past few years ash gourd has managed to change its image, and has now become popular among health enthusiasts too, who champion a raw juice made with the vegetable for daily detoxification and improved gut health.

But if neither the sweet nor the juice sound too tempting, one can always try the traditional ash gourd recipes that have been consumed by communities across the country for generations. The unripe vegetable, hairy on the outside, is prepared in a lightly spiced stir fry or cooked with coconut milk in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

In the Himalayan region, the gourd is used to prepare dry dumplings or vadis with pulses such as green gram, which can be used round the year. In Karnataka, traditional Udupi recipes use the gourd to make dishes like sambar, halwa and even chutney. In Maharashtra, it is used to prepare a sweet dish called kohalyachi vadee. And in West Bengal, the ash gourd is used in chalkumro'r bora, a fritter, and chal kumro ghonto, a dish of mixed vegetables that is also popular among health enthusiasts.

In whichever form one may like to consume it, the gourd can provide many health benefits. It is a good source of micronutrients such as calcium, iron and vitamins A and C.