... Gourds

Pumpkins, squashes and courgette/zucchini release a lot of water during the cooking process, and so have a tendency to lose flavours if you are not careful. I advocate using robust spicing to ensure they don’t become watery disappointments. Strong-flavoured spices, such as mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida/hing, especially when fried together, ensure that punch of flavour is not lost, and you will see them added to a number of the dishes in this chapter. In salads, the freshness of cucumber will similarly benefit from the addition of a bold, fiery flavour, such as ginger.