Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Pondicherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
It is gourd for health
|
Snake gourd is a rich source of minerals and fibre
|
Popular curry vegetable Snake gourd
Snake gourd belongs to the cucumber family and is native to India. Not surprising, because very few countries and cultures know what to make of this snake-like vegetable that can grow up to two metres long and 10 cm thick.
The plant's history in India goes back thousands of years, and there is frequent mention of it in Sanskrit texts relating to Ayurveda.
The gourd was first domesticated in India from wild species still found in South East Asia and parts of Australia.
India, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, Nigeria and parts of China are among the few places where this gourd is popular.
The snake gourd is also called tomato gourd in some parts of the world because the bright red pulp around the mature seeds is used much like tomato pulp in cooking.
In India, the gourd is used as a curry vegetable.
Cooking methods include the addition of milk to the simmering stew. In Nigeria, the mature fruit pulp is used in soups, and the fruit is harvested when it is about to turn orange-red.
Snake gourd can also be pickled. The stem tips and leaves are edible, but boiling is essential to remove the unpleasant odour.
Hundred gram of snake gourd contains only 20 calorie. It is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium and phosphorous.
The fruit is rich in dietary fibre and contains many medicinal compounds.
Trichosanthin, a compound derived from snake gourd, has ribosome-inhibiting properties that are effective in inhibiting the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infected lymphocyte and phagocyte cells. This makes the snake gourd an exciting focus of research in the pharmaceutical industry.
In Ayurveda, snake gourd is a folk cure for intestinal infestations.
It is also used to induce vomiting after poisoning.
RAJIV. M
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Pondicherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
|
