Tamil Nadu Recipes: How To Cook Comforting Stews And Curries With Chow-Chow (Chayote Squash)

The term Colombian Exchange was first used in 1972 by American historian and professor Alfred W. Crosby in his environmental history book of the same name. It has now become a widely used term by historians, especially food historians, to describe the meeting point of what was considered the Old World and the New World in the 15th Century. It refers to the widespread transfer of plants, animals and even diseases that followed the 1492 voyage of the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (hence the name). It marked the spread of American crops like potatoes and tomatoes to the rest of the world as well as crops from the Old World (The Eastern Hemisphere) such as rice and wheat to the New World.

Chayote (Botanical name: Sicyos edulis) was one of the ingredients that originated in the New World and was widely cultivated in modern Mexico and Guatemala. It was also part of the Colombian Exchange. We know this as Chow-Chow in Tamil Nadu or Seeme Badanekaayi in Karnataka. This vegetable (also considered a fruit in some regions) is also used in Northeast India, Nepal and many parts of Southeast Asia. It's also widely used in Creole and Cajun cuisine in the US.

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You could describe this as a pear-shaped vegetable with thin skin and a succulent, almost fleshy consistency. Its why Chayote is referred to as Chayote Squash. In South India, it's a regular ingredient in sambar and accompaniments like a kootu (see recipe). One of my favourite dishes with Chow-Chow is the More Kuzhambu (that can be best described as a buttermilk gravy) similar to a kadi. The fleshy textures and mild flavours of this vegetable play out really well in this dish. The key is not to overcook this vegetable. This ensures it doesn't get too mushy and retains its fleshy and slightly crunchy texture.

^{Photo: Instagram/moonriceshri}

It's relatively low on calories and comes with a bunch of nutritional benefits. It's a rich source of Vitamin C and B6 that build immunity and your energy metabolism. The vegetable also contains antioxidants (like myricetin), magnesium, and potassium and is considered good for heart and liver health. It's also rich in dietary fibre. Some experts recommend it for weight loss because it doesn't contain fat.

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You can try out these simple yet flavourful recipes and take advantage of the health benefits of Chow-Chow:

Chow-Chow Kootu

Ingredients

• 1 Chow-Chow
• 1/4 cup Moong dal 
• 1 tbsp Sambar powder
• 4 shallots (small onions) 
• 1/4 tbsp Turmeric 
• Salt as required 

To grind 

• 1/4 cup Coconut grated 
• 1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds 
• 1/2 tbsp rice flour (optional) 

To temper 

• 1 tbsp Oil 
• 1/2 tbsp mustard 
• 1 tbsp Urad dal 
• 1 sprig of curry leaves  

Instructions 

• Peel the skin off the Chow-Chow. Cut them into half and clean the middle part.
• Chop into small thick cubes.
• Add moong dal in a pressure cooker. Then add Chow-Chow, turmeric, sambar powder and salt.
• Add a cup of water and make sure the dal is immersed in water. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
• Meanwhile, grind coconut with cumin and rice flour with a little water to a paste.
• Add it to the cooked vegetable and mix well. Bring to a boil.
• Temper the ingredients (under the 'to temper' list) and add them to the cooked mixture. Stir and mix well.
• Serve with hot steamed rice.

 Chow-Chow More Kuzhambu recipe (Chow-Chow Buttermilk gravy) 

Ingredients: 

• Sour curd (Thick sour curd beaten) -1/2 cup 
• Freshly grated coconut - 1/4 cup  
• Chow-Chow - 200 gm  
• 1 tablespoon Cumin 
• turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon 
• 1/2 tablespoon Urad dal  
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek 
• 1/4 teaspoon Coconut oil   
• Green chillies - 4 to 6 
• Curry leaves - a few sprigs 
• Salt - to taste  
• Mustard - 1/4 teaspoon 

Method:

• Fry the Chow-Chow with a little turmeric and curry leaves  
• Add some water  
• Fry urad dal and fenugreek separately in coconut oil 
• Add the green chillies  
• Blend this mixture with the cumin seeds to a fine paste and add some water and salt as you do  
• Add this mixture to the Chow-Chow and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes  
• Add the beaten curd - add some water to this curd until it reaches a thick lassi consistency.  
• 'Temper' this with the curry leaves and the mustard seeds.