Delicious Recipes of Ash Gourd (Safed Petha) to Try at Home

Ash Gourd is also known as Wax Gourd, Winter Melon, Safed Petha. Here are some other names of Ash Gourd or Safed Petha in different languages:

• Ash Gourd in Hindi – Safed Petha/ Petha
• Ash Gourd in Sanskrit – Arkaru/ Koosmanda
• Ash Gourd in Telugu – Boodidi Gummadikaya
• Ash Gourd in Kerala – Kumbalanga/ Kooshmandam
• Ash Gourd in Tulu – Budu Kumbda/ Boldu Kumbda
• Ash Gourd in Kannada: Budi Kumblakayi
• Ash Gourd in Marathi – Kohalaa
• Ash Gourd in Gujrati – Kolu
• Ash Gourd in Bengali – ChaalKumaro
• Ash Gourd in Nepali – Kubhindo

The scientific name of Ash Gourd is Benincasa Hispida and commonly it is known as winter melon, wax gourd and Safed Petha.  It is a vegetable plant and for the growth of the Safed petha or Ash Gourd full sun is required.

Health Benefits of Ash Gourd or Safed Petha are as follows-

• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is helpful in losing weight.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is good for diabetics’ patients.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is helpful to treat peptic ulcers.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is good for digestive health.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is helpful in treating constipation.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is helpful in the treatment of the common cold.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is useful in relieving gourd acidity.
• Ash Gourd or Safe Petha is good for the nervous system.

Here are some recipes using these you can add Ash Gourd or safe Petha into your diet. Hope you will like these recipes-

How to Make famous Agra ka Petha Using Ash Gourd/Safed Petha:

Agra ka Petha is one of the famous sweets from the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Here is the recipe for making Agra ka Petha from Ash Gourd/Safed Petha –

Ingredients Required for making Agra ka Petha – Ash Gourd or Safed Petha: 1 Kg; Fitkari (Alum Powder): 1 tbs; Lemon Juice: 1 tbs; Sugar: 750 gms.

Preparation time: 30 Minutes; Cooking Time: 35-40 Minutes

Recipe of Making Agra ka Petha from Ash Gourd or Safed Petha –

• First of all, clean and cut Safed Petha or Ash Gourd into pieces as you like.
• Now prick these pieces of Safed Petha or Ash Gourd and place them into a pan. Now fill this pan with water in such a way that these Ash Gourd or Safed Petha pieces dip entirely into the water.
• Now add alum powder into the pan and boil it for 10-15 minutes. After that drain the water and wash it thoroughly under running water.
• Now make Chasni using sugar and water. Now add lemon juice to the heating chasni and later add boiled safed petha.
• Now cook until safed petha gets softened.
• Now keep the pethas separately to avoid sticking with each other. After cooling down Agra ka Petha is ready for the serving.

How to Make Famous Angoori Petha:

Time:  55-60 minutes

Ingredients required for Angoori Petha: Ash Gourd or Safed Petha – 2 Kgs; Slaked Lime – ¼ tbs; Sugar – 3 cups; Grated Coconut – 1 cup; Yello Food colour – 2-3 drops

Recipe of Angoori Petha:

• First of all, peel off the Ash Gourd and remove all the seeds and scoop out the balls with the help of a scooper and prick all the Ash Gourd balls.
• Now rub the slacked lime on all the Ash Gourd balls and keep it for 5-7 minutes. Then wash the Ash Gourd balls thoroughly 2 times.
• Now take a deep pan and add sugar and food colour in it and some water and boil it.
• If there is any impurity in the pan then remove it and add ash gourd balls to it. Cook it for 12-15 minutes on high flames. Later cool it down.
• Take out the Petha and roll them into grated coconut.
• In this way, Angoori Petha is ready for serving.

5 Health Benefits of Ash Gourd or Safed Petha

How to Make Ash Gourd Juice or Chiller:

Ingredient for Ash Gourd Chiller or Juice: Ash Gourd – ½ Kgs; Salt and Pepper - as per taste, jaggery – as per taste, black salt – a pinch; lemon juice, mint leaves

Recipe of Ash Gourd Chiller or Juice:

• First of all, clean and cut ash gourd into pieces and add Ash Gourd, a small quantity of water and jaggery as per taste into a mixer grinder and make juice.
• Now filter it properly. Add salt, black salt and keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
• Add mint leaves for the decoration before the serving.

How to make Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Kheer:

Ingredient for Ash Gourd Kheer: Milk – 1liter; Ash Gourd – 100-150 gms; Dry fruit – 2-4 tbs

Recipe of Ash Gourd Kheer:

• First of all, clean the Ash Gourd and grate it. Now add the milk into a pan and add grated ash gourd in it.
• Now boil it and cook it until it becomes thick.
• Now add dry fruits and sugar as per taste, mix it well.
• In this way, Ash Gourd Kheer is ready to serve.

Cultivation, Harvesting and Diseases of Ash Gourd 

Ash Gourd or Safed Petha South Indian Recipe:

How to make Kumbalanga Thoran or Ash Gourd Thoran:

Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients required for Ash Gourd Thoran: 250 gm Ash Gourd or Safed Petha; 1 medium size Onion; Green Chilli, Mustard Seeds – ½ tbs, Cumin Seeds- ½ tbs; Turmeric Powder – ½ tbs; Curry Leaves – 3 to 4 Leaves; Coconut – ¾ cup grated; Coconut Oil -2 tbs; Salt

Recipe of Ash Gourd Thoran:

• First of all, chop the Ash Gourd, Onion, and Green Chili.
• Now in a pan put the coconut oil and heat it. Add mustard and cumin seed.
• Now add Onion and Green Chili and fry it until the onion gets golden brown. After that add Ash Gourd.
• Now add turmeric powder and fry it for 2 minutes.
• Now cover the pan and let the ash gourd cook properly. Do not add water to it. Cook, it well and later adds grated coconut and salt in it and mixes it well. Keep it for 2-3 minutes and Ash Gourd Thoran is ready for serving.

How to Make Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Kootu:

Time: 30-35 Minutes

Ingredients required for Ash Gour Kootu: Ash Gourd- 200 gm, Toor dal – ¾ cup; Turmeric Powder – a pinch; Beans – 200 gm; Green Chili – 2; salt; Coconut – 2 Tbs grated; Coriander Powder - 1tbs; Vegetable oil – 3-4 tbs; Mustard seeds- 1 tbs; Curry leaves – 7-8; Hing – a pinch

Recipe of Ash Gourd Kootu:

• First of all, cook toor dal in a pressure cooker.
• Now take a deep pan and boil ash gourd with water, salt and turmeric powder.
• Now in another pan roast the masala - toor dal, dhania and red chillies and grind these with coconut into a coarse paste.
• In the Ash Gourd pan after sometimes add beans and cook it well. After that cool, it down and mash it well.
• Now take oil in a pan and add hing, green chilli, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Now add toor dal and ash gourd & beans mesh to it. Now let it boil and cook it for 2-3 minutes at the boil. In this way, Ash Gourd Kootu is ready for serving.

How to Make Ash Gourd Coconut Curry Udupi Style –

Ingredients required for Ash Gourd Coconut Curry – Ash Gourd (Vellai Poosankai) – ½ kg; Turmeric Powder – ½ tbs; Salt and Oil as per requirement; Red Chillies (dry) – 4; Coconut – ½ cup grated; Fenugreek Seed & Cumin seeds – half tbs; Coriander and sesame seeds – 2 tbs; Jaggery – as per taste; tamarind water – 1 cup; mustard seeds – ½ tbs; Curry leaves – 5-6

Recipe for Ash Gourd Coconut Curry –

• Cook Ash Gourd in a pressure cooker with a small quantity of water, turmeric powder and salt.
• Now roast all the spices for the paste and grind it with the coconut and make a paste.
• Now add this paste to the pressure cooker of Ash Gourd and mix it well. Cook this mixer on medium flame. Cook it well.
• Now in a pan take oil and heat it add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. Now add this to the Ash Gourd cooker and leave it for a couple of minutes.
• In this way, Ash Gourd Coconut curry is ready for serving.

How to Make Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Raita (Poosanikkai Thayir Pachadi):

Ingredients required for Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Raita: Ash Gourd – 150 gm or 1 cup; Curd – ¾ cup; Urad dal – 1 tbs; Mustard seeds – ¼ tbs; Green Chili – 1; Oil & salt – as per requirement

Recipe of Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Raita (Poosanikkai Thayir Pachadi):

• First of all, clean the ash gourd and cut it into small pieces. Now take a pan and add a small quantity of water and add little salt now add ash Gourd to it and cook until ash gourd pieces get softened.
• Now cool it down and remove extra water.
• Now take a bowl and add curd, cooked ash gourd and salt to it.
• In another pan add oil, mustard seeds, green chilli and Urad dal. Cook it until Urad dal turns golden brown. Now add this mixer to the curd bowl and mix it well. You can freeze it if you like.
• In this way, Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Raita (Poosanikkai Thayir Pachadi) is ready for serving.

How to Make Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Halwa or Kashi Halwa:

Ingredients required for Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Halwa or Kashi Halwa: Ghee – 2-3 Tbs; Dry Fruits – 4-5 tbs; Ash Gourd – 250 -300 gm (grated); Sugar – 250 gm; Pinch of saffron

Recipe of Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Halwa or Kashi Halwa:

• First of all, properly clean the ash gourd, cut into big pieces and then grate it.
• Now in a pan take 1tbs ghee and add dry fruits into it. Properly fry dry fruits and take them into a bowl.
• Now add the grated ash gourd into the pan and cook it will. Cook it until its raw aroma goes away it may take about 10-15 minutes. You can add water if needed.
• Now add sugar and mix it well. And add saffron to it and stir it well.
• Keep cooking it on a low flame. Also, keep stirring from time to time. Now when this halwa mixture starts to thicken then add ghee to it and mix it well. Cook it for 4-5 minutes.
• Now add dry fruits and cardamom powder to the halwa and mix it well.
• In this way, Ash Gourd or Safed Petha Halwa or Kashi Halwa is ready for serving.

Hope you will like and try these recipes at home. Thank you for your time.