Hot Summer is on ! Ash-gourd is a cool food that cools your stomach, nerves, brain & kidney. As an add-on, it improves memory power too. It is the cheapest(in price) nutritious food. Beneficial justifications below:
- Ash-gourd is an alkaline base that neutralizes stomach acids thereby curing acidity and ulcers.
- Ash-gourd is a natural sedative that calm down nerves and brain thereby relieves stress and induces sound sleep.
- Ash-gourd safeguard kidneys from stones.
Try this easy raw ash-gourd raita recipe that would also save your cooking time 😉 No compromise in taste… My baby loves to have it with chapathi.. Try your luck today!
I clicked the pics in front of my chillie plant. Grow organic plants at home and enjoy cooking with freshly plucked stuffs 🙂
Ash gourd Raita Recipe – Ingredients
Ash gourd – 250g
Thick Curd – 1 cup
Salt – 1/4 tsp
To Temper
Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Urad dal – 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves – few
Corriander Leaves – few
Green Chillies – 2
Ginger – 4 small pieces
Preparation
1.Cut out the thick skin and seed-crowded soft center part from ash gourd. Wash the veg and grate it.2.Once grated, you could see excess water discharged while grating. Without squeezing the grated gourd, gently pour out the excess water into a glass and drink that healthy water. Add grated gourd and salt to curd. Mix well.
3.In hot oil, add mustard seeds. Once spluttered, add urad dal. Once browned, add curry leaves, slit green chillies, ginger pieces.
4.Add corriander seeds and switch off the stove. Add the tempering to raita and mix well.
  Healthy raw ash gourd raita is ready in a jiffy! Enjoy with Chapathi/Phulka.
Tips/Tricks
- Do not waste the glass of ash gourd water as it is good for your stomach.
- If you wish your raita to be watery, add the glass of ash gourd water to raita before tempering.
- You shall add grated carrot too.
- You shall add a pinch of asafoetida while tempering.
- I used homemade curd. To make curd at home, add a tsp of curd to warm milk and mix well. Your curd will be ready in just 4 hrs on a sunny day or overnight. Milk should not be so hot but just warm. Insert your lil finger in the milk and if you could hold it for 30secs, then thats the right warmth.
Nutritional Benefits
Ash gourd – Dietary fiber, Proteins, Vitamins B & C, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, phosphorous, Zinc
Curd – Fat, Protein, Calcium
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