Say yes to fresh, seasonal produce, this summer
Gourds, too, are in abundance, such as bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ivy gourd and ash gourd, to name a few.
“Bitter gourd is a veggie that can’t be missed. It is a great blood purifier and keeps diabetes at bay by regulating blood sugar. It is a powerhouse of nutrition, containing vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium. Don’t judge it by its bitter taste, you can try consuming it in interesting, unconventional ways such as chips, bharli karli, bagara baingan and the crisp begun bhaja,” says chef Reetu Uday Kugaji, who recommends trying khatte baingan or chok wangun: “It involves deep-frying the baingan and then simmering it in a unique mix of spices such as asafoetida, cumin, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric, fennel powder, ginger powder, garam masala powder, green chillies, tamarind pulp and tamarind water.”
If you’re looking for a tasty yet healthy treat, here is a recipe by chef Natasha Gandhi.
(Makes two kulfis)
100g lauki aka bottle gourd 200ml milk
3tbsp jaggery
4-5 whole elaichi
In a saucepan, add milk along with whole elaichi. Bring this to a boil and let it simmer till it’s reduced by half and thickens.
Peel and grate the bottle gourd, blitz into a coarse paste and add to the milk. Cook till it reaches a boil. Turn off the heat, add jaggery powder and stir well. Once the mixture is cooled, pour it into kulfi moulds and freeze overnight or for five to six hours.