Colorful Ash Gourd salad… make this easy and gorgeous-looking salad in less than 30 min.
With quick-pickled red cabbage, baby spinach, grape tomatoes, green onions, pistachios and capers, this salad is not just pretty and flavorful, it’s super healthy too!
Enjoy it all by itself, if you’re a “Salad Monster” like me, maybe with some fresh crusty bread on the side, or pair it with other dishes, from whatever kind of cuisine you’re in the mood for.
Ash Gourd Winter melon, Wax Gourd, Kohlaa, Petha, Kumbalam…
What is Ash Gourd? A member of the gourd family, this native of South and South-East Asia goes by many different names. Wax gourd, winter melon, etc, are the “Western” names…. In India, though, where it grows in all parts of the country, different languages have different names for this widely consumed vegetable: Kohlaa (Marathi), Petha (pay-thaa, Hindi), ChaalKumro (Bengali), Kumbalam (Malayalam) and so on….
Covered all over its thick and waxy dark green skin with a whitish powder that looks like ash (hence the name “Ash Gourd”), the Benincasa hispida fruit can grow to be quite huge… sort of like a big pumpkin. I’ve seen several of these hanging from the vine it grows on, the vine typically supported by a sturdy fence… I’m always rather awed by the sight…. How strong must the vine be to even support such heavy fruits?
Ash gourds can be round in shape, like pumpkins, or they might be more elongated and oblong… Dark green on the outside, its juicy flesh is pure snowy white. Its taste? Very mild, with a subtle sweetness, somewhat like a cucumber…. In fact, ash gourds and cucumbers both belong to the Cucurbitaceae family
Ash gourd’s spongy and juicy flesh absorbs the flavors of whatever surrounds it… sweet, sour, savory, spicy…. So, it’s no wonder that folks from all over India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, etc., make all kinds of dishes with it… Salads, curries, soups, stews, desserts…. the list is really quite long!
Ash Gourd – so good for your health!
Ash Gourd has long been highly regarded for its numerous health benefits, both in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. As awareness of its numerous health benefits has spread widely, folks all over the world now grow ash gourd, especially in tropical regions. Naturally, this has also led to interesting new ways to consume this nutritious and hydrating vegetable!
With a mild flavor that almost recedes into the background, it’s also super easy to sneak it into various dishes that might not traditionally use wax gourd. I know a few folks who regularly add it into their breakfast smoothies… and these folks didn’t know what ash gourd even was until fairly recently!
Very low in sodium, fat and overall carbohydrates, ash gourd has lots of health-promoting micronutrients. A 100g serving, of which about 96g is just water, delivers nearly 15% of the daily requirement for Vitamin C, and 8-10 % of Vitamins A and B6. Interestingly, it also packs more potassium than an average banana!
So… If you’ve never used ash gourd before…. lots of reasons to start using this mild and refreshing vegetable. Bring home a chunk from your vegetable vendor and start playing with it… Check out various traditional recipes, of course, but also just follow your instincts and try something new!
That’s what I did! One of my successful experiments: the colorful ash gourd salad I’ve shared here! I combined a mostly Eastern vegetable with typically Western ingredients, to create a delectable new East-West fusion recipe!
Find New ways to use Ash Gourd
Some of the most interesting ways I’ve found for using ash gourd is to modify and adapt various traditional recipes that do not typically use ash gourd. One such recipe that I’ve posted is my adaptation of a traditional and very popular Maharashtrian dish. I’ve incorporated Kohlaa, as ash gourd is called in Marathi, into Ambadichi Bhaaji. This dish is traditionally made with the very sour leaves of Ambadi (Gongura), the red-stemmed Hibiscus sabdariffa or the green stemmed Hibiscus cannabinus.
My Mom used to throw out some of the very sour cooking water in which she cooked these greens! Why? To reduce what would have caused extreme tartness in the final dish. But that always really bothered me, since so many nutrients also got tossed out with the water! In my adaptation of my Mom’s recipe, I don’t throw away the water at all… I simply add some ash gourd while cooking the sour leaves.
Not only does this dilute the sourness of the leaves, it also yields more of the tasty dish to enjoy! Best of all…. no nutrients get thrown away! And in case you’re wondering, NO… it does not interfere in any way with the look, texture and flavor of the final dish!! If you didn’t know ash gourd was in there, you’d never guess!
Red Cabbage… or maybe you call it Purple cabbage…
Red cabbage, or maybe you call it purple cabbage, the pretty purple cousin of the more common green cabbage is widely available nowadays. What makes it purple? Anthocyanins … the same substances that give blueberries their signature color.
I’m always trying to find interesting ways to consume this nutrient-packed vegetable in some form or other. I like to make a quick-pickle with it, which mellows its strong peppery and earthy taste with a delightful tanginess. This pickled vegetable, made with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, also lasts for a few days in the refrigerator without getting spoiled. In fact, the flavor actually improves a day or two after I make it.
In the salad recipe I’ve shared here, I use my home-made pickled red cabbage. If I have time to plan in advance, I prefer to make it a day or two in advance. Sometimes, though, I decide to make this salad on the fly… Then I use my quick-pickled cabbage almost immediately after making it, and it tastes just fine!
Red Cabbage- enjoy Nature’s Magic Show!
And…. For a little bit of fun with Nature’s Magic…. Watch how the cabbage color changes from bluish-purple to a distinctly reddish purple as the lemon juice and the vinegar work their magic on the anthocyanins in the cabbage. Nature’s pH indicators, anthocyanins are blue in a neutral/alkaline environment, and turn red when in an acid environment.
The same thing also happens with purple Kale: the vibrant purple-colored leaf stems and fleshy stalks turn a brilliant red when I pickle them… Check out the pickled Kale stems recipe I’ve posted… Make this tasty pickle and you can enjoy the color show too! And Yes, please do leave a review and star rating, too … Thanks!
I never tire of watching this amazing color show, no matter how many times I see it!
Assemble the salad – but don’t toss until it’s time to serve!
Once you have all your ingredients prepped, just pile them onto your serving bowl/platter. Arrange the diced ash gourd on the bottom, followed by the spinach and tomatoes. Next, spread the pickled cabbage, and evenly sprinkle the salt, sugar and black pepper. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil all over; scatter the green onions, pistachios and capers… and set it aside, undisturbed.
DON’T toss / mix everything together right away…. Just wait until it’s time to serve before you do that.
Why? Because the moment you start mixing, the ash gourd will quickly start to release juices (because of the salt) and become watery…. And then, the released juices will pick up color from the pickled cabbage…. and color everything in its path pink!
If you toss the salad too early, you will end up with a sorry-looking, soupy mess! NOT quite the pretty and colorful salad you had planned to serve!
Special Diets
This colorful and refreshing ash gourd salad is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and soy free. To make it nut-free, just swap out the pistachios and use pumpkin seeds instead. Of course, if you want to use cashews, almonds, walnuts… or some other nuts instead of pistachios, sure… go ahead!
Make it, share it with friends and family… Enjoy their delighted expressions as they ‘look’ at this pretty salad… Do write a review and give a star rating… many thanks!
Enjoy!
Make Colorful Ash Gourd Salad: Tangy and Healthy
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred for briefly cooking red cabbage; if not available, follow stove-top cooking directions
Ingredients
For Quick-Pickled Red Cabbage: Yields 1 cup pickled cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups Red/Purple Cabbage: about 125 g If not available, see Recipe Notes for substitute suggestions
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Caraway seeds if not available, use dill seeds or omit
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper – freshly crushed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red pepper also called Chilli flakes
- 1/4 tsp Dried Thyme if fresh thyme is available, use 10-12 leaves
- 2 tsp Lime/Lemon juice – freshly squeezed preferred if not available, OK to use bottled juice
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar if not available, use White wine vinegar, rice vinegar or distilled vinegar
To Assemble Salad
- 1 1/2 cups Wax Gourd – peeled, sliced and diced into small even shaped cubes – about 200 g also known as Ash Gourd, winter melon, Kohlaa, Petha, Kumbalam, ChaalKumro, etc.; if not available use tender cucumber
- 1 cup Pickled Red Cabbage – loosely packed prepared as described in Recipe Directions
- 1 cup Baby Spinach – evenly chopped – about 30 g OK to use other baby greens instead
- 5-6 whole Grape tomatoes – quartered sideways Cherry tomatoes OK too; if not available, use red, fully ripe diced tomatoes – about 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup Sliced green onions – dark green tops
- 1 tsp Dried Basil leaves or 8-10 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
- 1/2 tsp Sugar or a drizzle of honey
- 1/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper – freshly crushed preferred
- 2 tsp Olive oil – Extra Virgin preferred if not available, use another high quality oil – almond, walnut, avocado, sesame – preferably cold-pressed
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar – aged preferred if not available use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Toppings
- 1/4 cup Roasted Pistachios- shelled if not available, use 1/4 cup of another nut/seed: chopped walnuts (raw), roasted cashews, pumpkin seeds (raw), etc.
- 2 tsp Capers – drained optional recommend rinsing with a little water to remove excess salt; if not available, use 2 tsp chopped green olives
Instructions
Make Quick-Pickled Red Cabbage: Yields 1 cup pickled cabbage
- Cut 2-3 medium sized chunks chunks from the red cabbage head – about 125 g – to yield about 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage. Rinse under running water and drain excess water in a colander. Pat excess water with a towel.Slice thinly to shred the cabbage
- Blanch the cabbage in the microwave or on the stove-top as follow:Microwave:Transfer the shredded cabbage to a glass/ceramic microwave-safe dinner plate. Add 1/4 tsp each salt and sugar; stir, cover and microwave on Hi for 30 seconds. Keep covered for 1 min, then remove cover and allow to cool till lukewarm. Stove-top: Add 1/4 cup water to a shallow frying pan (10 inch/25 cm.) and bring the water begins to boil on medium heat. Transfer the shredded cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp each salt and sugar, stir quickly, cover and cook on Hi for 30-45 seconds. Turn heat off and move the pan away from the hot stove. Keep covered for 1 min, then remove cover and allow to cool till lukewarm.
- Add 2 tsp lemon juice to blanched red cabbage and stir.
- Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and stir. Note that after adding lemon juice, the purple color begins to turn red.
- Stir in the remaining seasonings for pickling the red cabbage: Caraway seeds, black pepper, crushed red pepper and thyme. Set aside to marinate while you prep the remaining ingredients. Note: The color continues to change as the vinegar gets absorbed by the cabbage.
Prep the remaining salad vegetables
- Wash the wax gourd and pat dry excess moisture with a clean towel. Cut into 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick slices, then peel away the thick skin with a sharp paring knife and dice these into even sized cubes about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) all around. See pic for details.Notes: It is difficult to use a peeler to peel the thick skin of wax gourd.. A sharp paring knife is better suited for this task. Also, take care to not 'smash' the delicate flesh of the wax gourd when slicing and dicing – be sure to use a sharp knife for this task.
- Evenly diced wax gourd.
- Wash baby spinach (in a colander) with cool water.Note: Even if you are using bagged, pre-washed spinach, I still recommend giving it one more wash. It's always good to be vigilant when consuming raw vegetables, and rinsing significantly reduces the risk of food poisoning.
- Dry the leaves by dry by spreading over a clean towel.
- Alternatively, you can use a salad spinner to drain away excess moisture from the washed spinach leaves.
- Chop the spinach roughly into small-medium bite-sized pieces
- Wash and quarter the grape tomatoes.
- Wash and slice the green onions (green tops) – 1/8 inch / 2-3 mm thick
Assemble the Salad
- Layer the diced wax gourd, spinach, tomatoes and pickled red cabbage in a large serving bowl. Evenly distribute all the seasoning ingredients: basil, salt, black pepper and sugar over the top; drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Spread the pistachios, green onions and capers (if using) on top of everything, and set aside until ready to serve.Do not toss the salad until it's time to ready to serve. Note:Capers, even after being drained from the brine they are bottled in, are extremely salty. I recommend rinsing away some of the excess salt: simply soak the capers in a bowl of water for a few minutes, stir and then drain away the salty liquid with a fine mesh strainer.
- Toss and serve immediately,
- Perfect as a light meal with fresh bread and soup, or as part of a more elaborate spread. Enjoy!
Interesting! Will make it when I get ash gourd next time.
Let me know how it turns out! I can have 3 servings of this with some fresh crusty bread and call it Lunch! 🙂