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Benefits Of Turai, Ridge Gourd

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Benefits of Turai, Ridge Gourd

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Benefits of Turai, Benefits of Ridge Gourd

Benefits of Turai, Benefits of Ridge Gourd

Grains and masalas are usually stocked, but fruits and vegetables are ingredients which we need to buy fresh on daily or weekly basis. If we are asked to name a few vegetables which appeal to most family members - cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, ladies finger and probably French beans may appear as favourites. Ridge gourd, as a vegetable, though doesn’t appeal to many, it has a few health benefits to its credit.

It’s a dark green vegetable with white pulp inside. Ridge gourd gets its name from its vertical ridges. Before using, the ridges are lightly peeled off, as some find it irritating to the throat. The remaining green peel is usually not peeled off. Since the vegetable is quite spongy, it’s usually cut into chunks, big pieces or thick slices and used to make subzis. Very small pieces might render a mushy vegetable after cooking.

6 Health Benefits of Ridge Gourd

1. Weight Loss : This gourd is absolutely low in calories and carbs, thus making it a very virtuous choice for those on low-cal and low-carb diet. It has a high moisture content and decent amount of fiber. All this together helps to satiate you for long hours while consuming just a few calories (15 calories / cup).

2. Digestive Benefits : Since this vegetable is full of moisture and fiber with negligible fat, it’s a boon for digestive system too. Water and fiber are 2 key nutrients for easy movement of bowel. So in other terms it facilitates bowel movement and helps prevent constipation.

3. Anti-diabetic Effect : The low carb count of ridge gourd coupled with insulin-like peptides it contains, qualifies this vegetables as diabetic-friendly. It can safely be added to a diabetic menu. Consuming ridge gourd regularly can help to maintain blood sugar levels.

4. Immune Booster : The good amount of vitamin C (10% per cup) and zinc (7% per cup) in ridge gourd aids in building our immunity and the ability to fight diseases and infections. A glass of ridge gourd juice has also been proven to detoxify liver.

5. Heart Protective : Its absolutely low in fat and nil in cholesterol. A subzi made with ridge gourd with minimal amount of oil is truly a welcome addition for those with heart diseases.

6. Free Radical Scavenger : The vitamin C in ridge gourd also helps to ward off the harmful free radicals from the body, which are one of the major causes of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease etc. Thus it works towards a healthy YOU.

Ridge gourd has a very mild flavour and it blends well with most spices you add to it. Try a few of our creations made using this gourd….

1. Masalewali Turai

2. Turai aur Moong ki Dal

3. Turai Stir-fry

4. Turai Onion vVegetable

5. Ridge Gourd and Amaranth Shaag

6. Ridge Gourd and Dill Soup

7. Ridge Gourd Chutney

Other names of Ridge Gourd

Botanical name : Luffa Acutangula

Hindi : Turai

Gujarati – Turiya

Marathi – Dodka

Bengali : Jhinga

Odiya : Janchi

Tamil : Pirkkankai

Telugu : Beera kaya

Malayalam : Peechinga

Kannada : Heeraikai

Punjabi : Kali tori

Kashmiri : turrel

Nutritive Information for Ridge gourd:

1 Cup of chopped ridge gourd is about 86 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Energy - 15 calories
Protein – 0.4 g
Carbohydrate –2.9 g
Fat – 0.08 g
Fiber – 1.6 g

See full nutritional details of ridge gourd in Ridge Gourd glossary click here.