Feast-o-Meal: Bottle gourd / Calabash / long melon halwa

Bottle gourd, well known as calabash in west is a vegetable preferred in savories... The low calorie diet includes juices of the bottle gourd, but a suggestion to you is to grate it and use in a salad so that the rich fiber helps in further dissolution of fats in the body. With enormous health benefits, Chinese myth makes use of the dried fruit in the form of a container to store medicine as they believe the negative energy is warded off by it... Quite amazing, rich in folate and good for neuronal development of infants if consumed by a pregnant woman.

The culinary experiments with this vegetable has explored the delicious dessert in it... Be patient, slow cooking doubles the flavors of halwa... Enjoy the recipe :)

Recipe Ingredients:

Bottle gourd/ Calabash : 3 cups (after squeezing out excess water from the grated gourd)
Jaggery                          : 2 cups (grated)
Raisins and cashews      : 2 table spoons or as much desired.
Ghee                              : 1 cup
Milk                               : 3 cups
Cardamom powder        : 1 teaspoon

Procedure:
1. Peel and grate the bottle gourd.

2. Squeeze out excess juice from the grated gourd and measure 3 cups for cooking.

3. Add 2 cups of milk, ensure that is sufficient for pressure cooking. Don't doubt at the water content, as the gourd fools you easily! 2 cups would be appropriate if you have really not desiccated the veggie. 6-8 whistles will do.

4. Open the lid of the cooker after complete release of pressure/ steam waiting for about 10-15 min.
Now decant content into a wide mouth, thick bottom bowl, add grated jaggery and place it on high flame stirring occasionally.

5. After reduction of moisture, simmer the flame and pour half cup of ghee. Do not forget to sauté every now and then. Keep patience, as it takes long time to get rid of moisture.