Different types of gourd, their benefits and how to prepare them

Popularly known as a gourd, this vegetable belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and grows on the vines and is often consumed in India. When we talk about gourd vegetables, most people think of bottle gourd (lauki) or bitter gourd (karela). However, there are several types of gourds that are found in India and are part of our daily diet. They come in several shapes, sizes and colours and are known to be super-healthy. One can make literally any dish with these humble vegetables. This article talks about the various benefits of eating gourd vegetables, their benefits and how to prepare them. (Images courtesy: iStock)

Most of the gourd vegetables are quite beneficial as they contain important minerals and nutrients. Gourds have a high moisture content that accounts for more than 92 per cent edible weight portion. The fat content in these gourd vegetables is very less and most of them are good for the stomach as they contain a lot of dietary fibre. Apart from this, gourd vegetables are known to pave way for weight loss.

Here are some of the most popular gourd vegetables that we eat on a regular basis and here are a few of them - bottle gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd, sponge gourd, ridge gourd, pointed gourd, ash gourd, spine gourd, apple gourd etc.

This gourd has a bottle-like appearance and thus the name. This gourd has multiple health benefits and is quite good for gut and heart health. It is very popular among health freaks, as lauki is an excellent vegetable for weight loss and makes for an excellent post-workout drink. To make this vegetable, boil it and make a puree for the vegetable soup. Or you can make the vegetable by sauteing this in a gravy of onion & tomatoes and pressure cooking it.

Due to the ridges on this gourd, it came to know as one. One of the surprising facts about this vegetable is that it is used in several cuisines and is quite beneficial in diabetes and digestion. Turai is made by pressure cooking in a gravy of tomato & onions. One can also make a dry vegetable by sauteing it with just tomatoes.

This vegetable comes in green colour and has white stripes over it and is often cooked as a vegetable, enjoyed with chapati. This vegetable is a great source of minerals & vitamins and is quite helpful in controlling the cholesterol levels of the body. It is mostly cooked dry with some onions, tomatoes and some garlic cloves. It tastes quite delicious.

This vegetable is quite popular in Southern India and is made as a vegetable. This gourd is known to improve metabolism while preventing conditions like diabetes when eaten raw. You will be surprised to know that this vegetable can help in the heart & nervous system. Kundru is also made in the dry form with some common spices and just tomatoes. It is best enjoyed with chapati. One can also make pickles with this vegetable.

This tropical gourd grows mainly in Kerela and is thus named so. It is quite bitter in taste and thus it is named so. This vegetable is known to be quite beneficial in diabetes and strengthens the immune system. Karela is also quite good when it comes to gut health, and cleanses it completely. Karela is often cooked in the dry form by sauteing it with lots of onions and spices. To remove its bitterness, this vegetable is peeled and then salt is applied all over and kept aside.

This vegetable is something that most people enjoy as a vegetable and tastes sweet & sour. This vegetable is also used to make the delicious sweet dish, which is also known as Petha and comes in various flavours. Petha is mostly sauteed with some onions and kaccha aam, which gives it a sweet & sour taste. While some people add sugar to bring that sweetness others add jaggery or gud in the vegetable getting cooked. Jaggery increases the health quotient of the dish as well as the taste.