Spiced Bottle Gourd

Bottle gourd (laukaa) is also known as long melon or opo squash. The musky-scented gourd has a smooth skin and is pale to deep green in color. It resembles a large zucchini, has a mild flavor, and releases a lot of liquid when cooked. It is edible only when young and tender, because as it matures, it becomes bitter. Its mild taste makes it easy to blend with many other vegetables and dried legumes. Bottle gourd is available during the summer and early fall in Asian or Indian grocery