Cucuzzi Caravazzi

[ChristinaJo]

May try grilling them this year.

[a sunny day]

The other way we cook them is Italian style. Italians also love them. We cook them similar to these two recipes...

Thick Cucuzza soup (or stew):
http://sicilycuisine.blogspot.com.au...za-squash.html

Cucuzza pasta:
https://judysculinaria.wordpress.com...-with-cucuzza/

And when our next Lauki (or Cucuzza) is ready we are planning to try this one:
http://www.refinedchef.com/recipes/r...zza-squash.php

YUM!!!!

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by a sunny day

The other way we cook them is Italian style. Italians also love them. We cook them similar to these two recipes...

Thick Cucuzza soup (or stew):
http://sicilycuisine.blogspot.com.au...za-squash.html

Cucuzza pasta:
https://judysculinaria.wordpress.com...-with-cucuzza/

And when our next Lauki (or Cucuzza) is ready we are planning to try this one:
http://www.refinedchef.com/recipes/r...zza-squash.php

YUM!!!!

All three are good I have had them many times.

Worth

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by a sunny day

A slightly different variety grows in India and is called Lauki. It is believed to be very good for lots of things including digestion and blood pressure and is a staple vegetable. We have grown it here in Victoria, Australia for three seasons now with varying results. It loves the heat and seems to require humidity for the fruit to develop.

And when we are lucky enough to pick one we cook up a real treat... as we did last week. Here are some of our favourite recipes...

Lauki Kopta:
http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/recipe/...naKhazana.html
This recipe is close to how we make it, but for the masala we add a tsp of cumin seed to the oil first and brown it, and then add ginger and garlic with the onions. We use about half the tomato that is suggested, and don't stuff the kopte with tamarind.

Lauki sabzi (sabzi means veg curry):
http://www.northindiancooking.com/la...lon-ghiya.html
You don't need a pressure cooker, just a small wok or frypan. In india they use an aluminium or steel kadhai and when all the ingredients are added just cover and stir from time to time till the lauki is soft. Again, after the cumin seed add onion, ginger and garlic and cook till brown.

Lauki and channa dahl:
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/lau...-curry-recipe/
This recipe is near perfect, only we add garlic as well and instead of garam masala we add a small teaspoon and a half of coriander powder.

And this recipe looks great...

Lauki with potato and peas:
http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/recipe/...-FoodFood.html
Here we would use the pressure cooker because it will cook the potatoes quicker, but again it's optional and I would chop (not grate) one onion and only use two small to medium tomatoes.

Hing in all the recipes is optional, (good for digestion as are all the spices).

YUM!!!

Here are some growing in our back yard two years ago when we had a very humid summer...

Ok, now I am all confused. I googled Lauki to see about getting some seeds to try of this one too.

What I found was this page on Ebay selling them. Of course I had to see what all was offered and noticed that several of the offering all had the word Lauki in them. So I have no idea which one you are talking about.

Can you tell me which one I should pick, please?

CristiniaJo and Worth... Thanks so much for the ideas on how to cook and the recipes. I'm goign to make little recipe cards from what you supplied so when I pass out veggies this fall, the recipents will also know what to do with them other than start a neighborhood baseball team.

Opps, forgot the link.

http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/gourd-seeds

[a sunny day]

Hi Starlight, this is Lauki (Bottle Gourd). It needs a lot of humidity and then it's extremely productive:

This one is only bent because it's growing through the mesh fence...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RARE-Ligh...-/140969066080

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RARE-Supe...-/130901345065

This one we also grow. They call it Tauri in India and it's less reliant on hot humid weather and it's really a lovely vegetable. You just grate the thick ridges off with a potato peeler, then dice them up and cook them like the simple Lauki Sabzi

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Angled-lu...item20d27bbdfc

[tarpalsfan]

I have grown cucuzzi gourd ages ago! I did not know that it was edible then. (20 years ago!)
.
I grew opo recently, (Asian) it is a Lagenaria gourd like cucuzzi. The Opo were were wonderful! They were kind of like a cross between eggplant and zucchini, only sweeter.
.
This year I will grow Italian Edible.
.
I prune off the lateral vine tip when it gets pretty long, then the vine will produce horizontal vines, and make more gourds. My problem is I think the dried gourds are pretty cool, and have a hard time harvesting them to eat.

[tarpalsfan]

Oh! I am so jealous! Those gourds are beautiful! Wonderful!!!!!