Come monsoon, the season brings a wide variety of unique and delicious lesser known ingredients.One such lesser known ingredient is Satputia.
Sarputia or Satputia is are small edible, hermaphrodite belonging to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). It is closely related to both the ridge gourd as well as sponge gourd and mainly grows across Indo-Gangetic planes ( Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern UP, West Bengal) and other regions like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Scientific Name
Luffa Hermaphrodita
Local Names
- Satputia/Satputiya/Sarputia (Hindi)
- Gutti Beera ( Andhra Pradesh)
- Jumkdi (Gujarat)
Appearance
Satputia grow in clusters and are small, elliptical or oblong with a smooth matt light to dark green skin with faint lines with white firm yet spongy center and seeds. To be precise, they look like smaller versions of the sponge gourds and hence probably are sold as such in local markets too.
Every individual gourd roughly is about 5-10cm longs, 4-5cms wide and weigh around 20-60gms each.
Taste & Texture
These gourds have a very subtle, mildly sweet taste and are tender, soft and spongy in texture.
So just like many other vegetables if a certain sarputia, tastes too strong or bitter it is best discarded.
Availability
It mainly available for a very short duration during monsoons and it rarely hits the Mumbai markets.
How to Purchase
Look for firm, vibrant looking gourds without any dull patches/ bruises/ damage.
The stem and base are a quick give away on the freshness.
Nutrition Benefits
These small gourds are a rich source of fiber, water, minerals and antioxidants. When prepared right, they are gut friendly and hydrating.
Culinary uses
This is a zero waste vegetable. All you need is a good wash, chop and few ingredients to cook it right.
Some of its culinary uses include:
- Sabzi
- Gravy
- Fasting food
- Quick stir fry
- Stuffed gourd
If you enjoyed reading about this lesser known gourd, you would also love reading more about ingredients like Nalli Bhaji, or kudachya shenga.
