Opo squash, aka bottle gourd or lauki (in Hindi) is a squash I have grown fond of, over the years. For those of you who are not familiar with this vegetable, it is pale green in color, with a not-too-thick skin and soft flesh. It tastes mildly sour and sweet and takes on any flavors you add.
Opo Squash
Low Calorie, Low Carb
Because of its ability to help with weight loss, bottle gourd is very popular with those who are on the hunt for low calorie and low carb foods. Not only that, it is also rich in nutrients and fiber. Also, because of its high water-content, it makes a great health drink too. Indian cuisine has a lot of delicious bottle gourd recipe that are mostly vegan.
Opo Squash Yellow Mung Curry
Undoubtedly, this is my most favorite bottle gourd recipe. Though I typically enjoy spicy food, this is one of those mildly spiced recipes I’m very fond of. In fact, other than tempering there are no hot spices in this recipe. You’ll be surprised of how flavorful a combination of tempering, a dash of Hing (asafetida), yellow mung can make this squash recipe so delicious!
Opo squash is a low-calorie vegetable, providing just 14 calories per 100 g. It is one of the vegetables recommended by dietitians in weight-control program. This recipe benefits not only from the vegetable but from a decent proportion of yellow mung, which is a good source of protein.
Here are some bottle gourd (opo squash) recipes that might interest you:
Also check out some of our delicious lentil veggie recipes:
- Cabbage Kootu: Cabbage & Lentil Stew
- Andhra Tomato Pappu
- Tomato Fenugreek Dal
- South Indian Palak Dal – Spinach & Lentils Stew
- Mamidikaya Pappu- Raw Mango Dal
- Rainbow Chard Red Lentil Stew
- Sambar
- Blended Chana & Cluster Bean Curry
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Opo Squash Yellow Mung Curry
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Opo Squash
- 6 Leaves Curry Leaves
- 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1/2 Dry Red Chili
- 1 Pepper Green Chili Pepper - Small, slit lengthwise
- 1/4 Cup Yellow Mung
- 1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil - Expeller pressed
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Pinch Asafoetida (Hing)
Instructions
- Wash mung beans well and soak them in water for 30-45 minutes.
- Set IP to 'sauté' mode, add oil. Once the 'hot' sign shows up, add seasoning ingredients (curry leaves, dry chili pepper, green chili pepper, cumin and mustard seeds, hing)
- Add opo squash, soaked mung beans, salt and mix well
- Set lid on IP and set it on 'steam' mode, low pressure for 3 minutes. Once done remove lid and mix well
- Transfer contents to a serving dish
