Bottle gourd Image Credit source: Getty Images
Many people make faces on hearing the name of bottle gourd. Especially children and youth do not like its taste, hence they avoid including it in their diet. However, it is not right to ignore it because of taste. Bottle gourd is a vegetable which has high water content and is considered rich in many essential nutrients. This is the reason why it is advised to make it a part of a healthy diet.
Bottle gourd contains fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, magnesium, calcium And many essential antioxidants are found. Consuming it in regular and balanced quantity can help in keeping the body hydrated, maintaining a better digestive system and keeping weight under control due to low calories. The good thing is that bottle gourd is not just a vegetable but can also be prepared in many delicious ways. Let us know which healthy recipes can be prepared from bottle gourd, how it can be made more nutritious and what things should be kept in mind while consuming it.
Make these 5 healthy and tasty recipes with bottle gourd
gourd cheela
Prepare the batter by mixing gram flour, finely chopped onion, green coriander, green chillies and light spices in grated bottle gourd. Bake it on a pan in less oil. This is a breakfast rich in protein and fiber, which can help in better digestion and keeping you full for a long time.
Lauki Kofta
Make small koftas by mixing gram flour and spices in grated bottle gourd. Instead of deep frying them, cook them in air fryer or in less oil and put them in light tomato-onion gravy. This is a healthy alternative to traditional kofta, which provides good nutrition along with less oil.
Bottle Gourd Thepla
Mix grated gourd, curd, turmeric, celery and coriander in wheat flour and knead the dough. Make flat cakes out of it and bake it in light oil. It is a breakfast rich in fiber and essential nutrients, which can be eaten with curd or pickle.
gourd soup
Boil bottle gourd with onion, garlic and black pepper and blend it. Then add light salt and cook for a few minutes. This is a light, easily digestible and low-calorie soup, which can help in keeping the body hydrated and be a part of a balanced diet.
Bottle Gourd Raita
Grate the bottle gourd, boil it lightly and when it cools down, mix it in the whipped curd. Add roasted cumin, black salt and green coriander on top. This is a cooling and nutritious dish, which has the benefits of both the probiotics of curd and the fiber of bottle gourd.
What things can be mixed with bottle gourd to make it more nutritious?
Its nutritional value can be increased by mixing moong dal, gram dal, paneer, curd and sprouted pulses with bottle gourd. Apart from this, adding vegetables like carrot, spinach, peas and capsicum increases the amount of vitamins and minerals.
Sesame seeds, flax seeds or peanuts can also be added for taste and healthy fat. In this way the food prepared from bottle gourd becomes more balanced and nutritious.
What things should be kept in mind while eating bottle gourd?
Always buy fresh and good quality bottle gourd. If the taste of bottle gourd seems very bitter, then do not consume it at all, because bitter bottle gourd can be harmful for health. Wash bottle gourd thoroughly and cook it and eat it.
Consume it in balanced quantity and make it a part of the diet by mixing it with other nutritious food items. If you are following a special diet due to any health problem, then consume it only as per the advice of the doctor or dietician.
