LEAFY GOODNESS

Leaves of the bottle gourd can be a healthy green addition to the plate

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

LEAFY GREENS become a food-plate staple in most parts of the country during the winter months, with people relishing palak paneer made with spinach, saag made from mustard greens or even a bowl of raita with bathua (Chenopodium album) leaves. This winter, add to the list another green that is in fact available through the year—the leaves of bottle gourd.

Bottle gourd, known as Lagenaria siceraria in scientific lexicon, is found and consumed across the country. The plant is known as lauki and ghiya in Hindi, dudhi in Marathi and Gujarati, sore kaayi in Kannada, lau in Bengali, zeeth in Kashmiri and charanga and churaykka in Malayalam. Its leaves can vary in size and shape, often round or tri-lobed. They grow on hollow stems with curly tendrils and often have serrated edges. The veins extend from the central line of each leaf, and are more prominent on the bottom.

The leaves are a part of traditional recipes such as