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Vegetables · Squash & gourds

Ash gourd (winter melon)

Large wax-coated gourd (winter melon) with mild white flesh, used in soups, curries and petha sweets.

Also called: winter melon, wax gourd, white gourd, petha, kumura, kumbalanga, tung kua

2 recipes with it

What it is

Ash gourd is a large oval or round gourd with dark-green skin covered in a chalky white bloom. The flesh is white, watery and very mild, around a soft seedy core. It is cooked rather than eaten raw. It is unrelated to sweet melons despite the name winter melon.

Benincasa hispida

How it’s used

  • Chinese winter melon soup
  • South Indian curries such as olan and kootu
  • Candied into Agra petha
  • Bengali chalkumro dishes
  • Juiced

Characteristics

Taste
Very mild and faintly sweet.
Texture
Crisp raw; soft and translucent cooked.
When cooked
Turns translucent and absorbs broths; overcooked it becomes mushy.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Whole gourds keep for weeks in a cool place; wrap cut pieces and refrigerate for a few days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
13 kcal
Protein
0.4 g
Carbohydrate
3 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
2.9 g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with ash gourd (winter melon)

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