Parwal is a fruit of the perennial vine that is scientifically known as Trichosanthes dioica. It finds its origin in India and across different states, it is known by various names such as Potol, Pointed Gourd, Parol, and Kambupadalai.

Parwal is used in various sweet and savoury preparations and it has a plethora of health benefits. The fruits do not have any specific flavour but are soft and mushy (when cooked) with slightly crunchy outside.

parwal-pointed-gourd-min

Nutrition Profile of Parwal – Pointed Gourd

  • Parwal is a rich source of fibre and hence supports the digestive system and aids in weight loss.
  • It provides with few calories as low as 20 KCal in 100g and ample amount of nutrition.
  • It contains a good amount of minerals such as Copper, Iron, and Phosphorus.
  • It carries Vitamins such as Vitamins C, Vitamin A, and B Vitamins B1, and B2.

Health Benefits of Parwal

With a high density of the micronutrients and fibrous content, Parwal supports multiple bodily functions such as:

  • Heart health – It helps to regulate the heartbeat and lowers cholesterol level due to high Potassium content.
  • Due to high fiber content, it helps manage blood sugar level, hence great for Diabetic people
  • It prevents constipation and supports the digestive system
  • It bolsters the immune system and prevents skin related and respiratory disorders
  • It purifies the blood and improves blood circulation
  • It is recommended for bronchitis, high fever, and nervousness
  • It is light and hence easy to digest. It is recommended for the diets of people recovering from illness.
  • It balances the bile and cough in the body

Parwal Sabzi / Vegetable Recipe

For its multitude of health benefits and high nutrition value, Parwal is a great vegetable to be consumed on weekly basis. It is great for kids, Diabetics, expecting and lactating mothers, as well as for the elderly.

As it has a neutral taste profile, it works well for all three meals. We prepared it for our breakfast along with paranthas (Indian pan-fried bread). Added to this meal was 2 small sesame (til) and peanuts laddu (balls), that provide with additional proteins and calcium.

It is fairly quick to make and loved by all family members.

List of Ingredients (Serves 4-5 people)

  • 300 g Parwal
  • 1 Tea Spoon Poppy Seeds / Khuskhus / Posto
  • 6 – 7 Cashew Nuts or substitute with peanuts
  • 1-inch Ginger
  • 3-4 cloves of Garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • 1 small Tomato – finely chopped
  • 1 mid-sized Onion – finely chopped
  • A couple of Coriander leaves – finely chopped (for garnishing in the end)
  • 2-3 tablespoons Mustard Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • pinch of Asafetida

Method of Preparation (20 mins)

Excludes 30 mins of soaking of ingredients

  1. Wash and slightly peel the parwal to clear any dirty skin part.
  2. Soak the cashew and poppy seeds in 2 spoons of water for 30 mins.
  3. Make a smooth paste of ginger, garlic, poppy seeds, and cashew using a grinder or mortar pestel.
  4. Heat a pan. Add Mustard Oil. Once the oil is a little hot, add the Asafetida and mustard seeds.
  5. Let the seeds splutter and then add onions till they turn golden brown.
  6. Now add the ground paste of ginger, garlic, poppy seeds, and cashew.
  7. Add salt, turmeric, and coriander powder as well.
  8. Roast the paste for 5 mins till it turns golden brown.
  9. Add tomato and let it get mashed along the paste.
  10. Now add parwal and roast it along with the paste. After 5 mins add 3-4 spoons of water and let it cook on low heat for 10-15 mins till the Parwal is mashed/softened. Keep stirring in between.
  11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati, parantha, or rice.
  12. Enjoy with your meal!

We fried the onions separately as a personal taste preference. It is quite common to grind the onions also along with the ginger garlic paste. You can try both and choose per your taste profile.

Also, we cooked the parwal sabzi in a pressure cooker with all steps being the same. Time given here is for a pan. Pan cooked vegetables generally have better taste profile and have slightly crunchy texture. We used a pressure cooker to speed up the process and also to make them soft as kids can eat the veggie easily. You can choose to make it in a pan or cooker per your time and taste preference.

References

Health Benefits of Pointed Gourd

Pointed Gourd – Health Benefits and Usage

Pointed Gourd Botany and Horticulture

Pointed-Gourd from Archana Dixit – Slideshare

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  1. I wonder if I can find this here in our place. I really want to try this as I honestly still haven’t tasted this one. Thanks for posting!

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