Savour This Mouth Watering Delicacy Loofus And Shrimp Curry

Table of Contents

A vegetable and an exfoliator!

My grandmothers, like yours, if they were a part of the same generation, practiced thrift to a fault. They had to, really, with large families and very limited sources of income. I always felt that the loofah that grew along the backyard wall would merit their approval, as it served as both food and those that were dried out over time would be used as a loofah or body exfoliating sponge. I feared those dehydrated, scratchy, cucumber-shaped sponges. If you’ve used one (and you’ll find loofah at your nearest health and beauty store), you’ll know how hard it can feel on the skin of a child.

The exfoliating properties aside, loofah, a member of the cucumber family, is a wonderful ingredient to use. It’s also known as ridge gourd, peerkangai and Chinese Okra

Loofah | Exfoliating, Edible, Sponge-like | Britannica

What You Will Need

Vegetable Peeler
Medium Dish
Medium Pot

It does look impossible to clean, but you actually don’t need to remove too much of the skin. In this recipe, I have removed most of it with a sharp vegetable peeler, but my mother removes much less; this adds a lovely crunch to the cooked result. The skin is used in South Indian recipes to make a spicy pesto.

Usually, we prepare luffa with dried shrimp. I’ve used regular shrimp in this recipe. Substitute the luffa if you can’t find any for large marrow, cubed, salted, and drained.

Ingredients:

2 big: Loofah, Ridge Gourd and Beerkankai (De-skinned and chopped into small cubes)

1 to 1.5 lb. Prawns or Shrimp (De-shelled, De-veined) 2 tsp. oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4-5 Green Chillies slit
A Few Curry leaves
1 Tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
A pinch of garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

To marinate shrimp:
1 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
Little Salt
A splash of oil to put all together

Method:

STEP 1

Use a vegetable peeler to remove most of the luffa’s skin. If there are many dry, hard seeds, use a spoon to remove and discard them. Cut the luffa into 1-inch cubes, transfer to a colander set over a medium bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon of salt. Set aside to drain at room temperature for 20 minutes, shaking and stirring occasionally. Rinse and drain well to remove any excess salt, and set aside.

STEP 2

In a medium pot set over medium heat, add the ghee and olive oil. When the ghee mixture is hot and shimmery, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, 7–8 minutes. Add the chiles, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek and fry on low heat, stirring frequently, until the spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and turmeric and cook for 20 seconds, then add the drained luffa. Stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, until the luffa is softened, 6–7 minutes. Add the tomato and continue to cook until it breaks down into a coarse sauce, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the shrimp, and season with kosher salt. Turn the heat down to low and cook just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, 3–4 minutes.

Basmati rice or freshly baked white bread can be served alongside the dish.

Please try this delicious delicacy and leave a comment!