Ridged gourd or Torai as its called in India is very popular as a summer vegetable. It has lot of health benefits as again it’s a cooling vegetable and keeps the digestive system intact in unbearable heat of India.

In Ayurveda it is one of the components that reduces Pitta dosha too.  So it is advised to be in your Thali (meal platter) at least once in a day, if your Pitta Dosha is dominant    Here I am using the peels of the gourd in a separate dish and the soft inner cuts for a different veggie.  Giving me 2 different dishes.  I used the soft roundels first and kept the chopped shell for the next day.  The inspiration comes from Indian home kitchens, where no part of the vegetable is wasted and thrown.  And as there are many members in the house the wisdom of the lady of the house in cooking and utilizing all ingredients to the fullest is prevalent.

• first I did thick peels of the gourd
• Boiled some water in a pan and cooked the fine chopped peels to soft.
• Diced 1 potato.
• Fine chopped 1 green chilli

Now heat a Kadhai pan or frying pan

Add diced potato

Add cumin seeds

Saute till you see potatoes light golden

Now add the peels

Add  Turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cover.

Once the veggies are soft, saute a minute without lid.  Serve hot with chapati.

Recipe No. 2

The soft interior is cooked in the following manner

Ingredients & Method :

• ½ kg of Taurai (washed, peeled, Diced or Lengthwise pieces)
• A pinch  or ⅛ tsp Heeng / asafetida  (optional)
• ¼ tsp of  Haldi / powdered turmeric
• ½ tsp of salt  or salt to taste
• ½ tsp cumin seeds / zeera
• ½ tsp dry Coriander powder
• ½ tsp of red chilli powder
• ½ tsp of green chillies ( finely chopped) 
• ½ Tbsp of chopped green fresh coriander
• 1 Tsp of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp of Ghee

Method:

• Start heating ghee in a pan.  
• Add heeng + cumin
• Add Turmeric
• Add Chopped Vegetables and chillies together
• Add salt
• Mix well – cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to minimum and let the veggie cook till soft. It will take at least 5 minutes
• Check in between if the vegetables are going too dry, if that is so, sprinkle some water on it.  And cover again.
• Once it is soft and cooked add chilli powder + Coriander powder
• Mix well but gently as your veggie is very  soft. Leave it covered for another 2 minutes.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves, and lemon juice.

Serve immediately with freshly cooked chapatis. Again Ayurvedic rules for food suggest not letting food stand for more than an hour, cooking later to hour or two will turn the food less & less nutritious and unpleasant in flavors. 

Cook fresh! Stay Healthy!