Sautéed Luffa Gourd

Are you familiar with Luffa sponges that are sold at skincare counters for body exfoliating or scrubbing? These sponges are made from natural vines of Luffa gourds. Luffa means the vines inside squashes or gourds. Old Luffa gourd is no longer edible, the luffa is made into sponges for cleaning and scrubbing pans and pots. I had first seen them used by Grandma. She got these sponges from her neighbours, who grew Luffa gourds in their yard. Young fruits were harvested and the rest were left to mature for making sponges. To cook this dish of Sauteed Luffa Gourd, young fruits are used. It has a marshmallow-like texture with unique flavour. I am especially attracted to the fresh green colour of these cooked young gourds. A delightful vegetable dish that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes.

Luffa gourd pairs well with a variety of ingredients in Chinese cuisine, for example, clams, squids, oysters, mushrooms, eggs or salty eggs, and tofu. It is also used in soups or noodle bowls. This sautéed version is the most basic and easiest to make. It requires two main ingredients only, ginger and Luffa gourds. But I usually throw in a spoonful of dried flaky shrimps (shown on the left)or a few pieces of dried shrimps (shown on the right). These are common Chinese ingredients to add umami to any dish, often vegetable dishes or soups.

I especially missed this dish during my years living in the United States. It was not easy to find Luffa gourds there. In recent years, the Chinese supermarkets in the Los Angeles area started to carry Luffa gourds. Though seasonal and often expensive, at least one can indulge in the taste of home once in a while. Here in Hong Kong, I am very lucky to buy this vegetable easily. Summer is always the best season for these gourds. The Luffa gourds in Hong Kong are mostly angular with ridges in dark green colour, while the ones I had in Beijing in my childhood were smooth in lighter green colour. Nonetheless, both taste very similar with barely noticeable difference. The angled Luffa is more spongy and can hold shapes better. The smooth type has a more silky texture and turns soft quicker when heated. To choose a good Luffa gourd, it is important to pick the ones with some weight, and have rough but undamaged skin. The heavier ones contain more juice.

(picture of angled vs. smooth luffa gourds)

A Bit of History

Luffa gourd is native to the tropical Southeast of Asia, like India, China, Vietnam, Bhutan. It grows well in warm weather with a lot of sunlight. The plant has a long history of cultivation in Egypt and other parts of the world. The young fruits of Luffa are edible and delicious. As the fruits are fully ripened, the inside of the gourd becomes hollow, full of fibre and seeds. This sponge-like material is used for cleaning, scrubbing, and exfoliating. This is why Luffa is also called Sponge Gourd. In Chinese, Luffa gourds are called “Si Gua”, named after the fibre like texture. Si is fibre or thread like texture, and Gua is a general term for gourds. 

There are usually two types of Luffa, smooth and angular. Smooth type is said to produce better sponges when matured. From my personal experience, smooth Luffa is more common in the markets in North of China and angular Luffa is very common in markets of Hong Kong. The angular Luffa is also called Chinese Okra in some regions of North America. This name is very confusing as Luffa gourd is unrelated to okra.

Health Benefits of Cucumbers

My Mom often mentioned that Luffa gourds were good for brightening the skin. Having good skin was a common, cliche beauty standard in China, still may be nowadays. When I was little, I was often reminded by the older ladies in the family about which food benefits the skin. Honestly, I haven’t experienced any improved skin condition caused by a single type of food. Usually enough water and sleep gives me more glowing skin. But Luffa does contain a lot of juice, as well as high doses of antioxidants and vitamin A, which work as ​​anti-cancer and anti-aging agents at the cellular level in humans. In Chinese medicine, Luffa gourd is defined as having a “cool” attribute. Chinese medicine describes the attribute of foods by a scale of cold to hot, same as how Chinese doctors describe our internal bodies. When there is too much internal “hot air” in our bodies, our bodies start to show signs of acne, mouth ulcers, halitosis, and a long list of other symptoms. Consuming “Cool” foods can reduce this internal ‘hot air”. On the contrary, foods like chilies, lamb are examples of “hot” foods that warm our internals in the winter. Thus, Luffa gourd is a perfect food in the summer. Another fun fact is that Luffa gourd is said to help milk production for breast-feeding mothers. I don’t have scientific back ups for this old saying; it’s passed down by generations. Whether true or not, no harm to try this delicious vegetable. 

Cooking Tips 

Sautéed: The word “sautéed” comes from the French word “saute”, “to jump”, meaning to cook ingredients in a hot pan with a small amount of hot oil, like sautéed diced onions. Sautéed, when used for translating Chinese dish names, usually refers to cooking ingredients in hot oil and seasoning simply with salt or soy sauce. In Chinese, it is ‘Qing Chao”, “Qing” is clean, “Chao” is stir-fry. Sautéed is similar to stir-fry, but not necessary to constantly stir the ingredients during the cooking process. “Qing Chao” method is common to cook vegetables like squashes, mushrooms, and beans. These vegetables can endure longer cooking time without much stirring. Usually garlic or ginger is fried first to add flavour to the hot oil, then just a small amount of seasoning is added toward the end. The essence of a sautéed dish is to highlight the freshness and natural flavour of the ingredients. 

Cutting of Luffa gourd: In Chinese cooking, a common way of cutting a cylindrical vegetable like eggplant or carrot, is called “Gun Dao”. The direct translation is Roll & Cut. I haven’t found a matching word in English for this cutting method. The technique requires rolling the vegetable after each angled cut (The knife is held at about 45 degrees counterclockwise) to have the cut-side facing up. Then without changing the knife angle, cut again. This way of cutting produces chunks with the most surfaces, permitting more heat and seasoning absorption during cooking. It is also an easy way to make even-sized chunks. The angle of the knife controls the chunk size. The tip of the vegetable is shaped like a sharpened pencil after a few cuts.

Do not need to add water: Luffa gourd extracts lots of juice on its own after being heated for some time. After mixing Luffa gourds to cover each chunk with hot oil evenly (about 1-2 mins), turn the heat down to low-medium and cover the pan with a lid. Wait for 3-4 minutes with the lid closed, the Luffa will start extracting juice. It produces a milky and slimy liquid that looks like starch is added to the dish. Even after cooking, the Luffa continues to extract juice while sitting. So don’t add water unless you want to cook Luffa soup.

Scraping the ginger skin using a spoon: Grandma taught me to use a coin or spoon to scrape off the skin of ginger. It’s surprisingly easy and a safer way compared to using a peeler, especially when working with a small knob of ginger. The skin of ginger is super thin, so it doesn’t require a sharp tool to scrape. Hold the spoon’s head upside down and use the edge to scrape. Give it a try and you will be delighted of this hack.

Sautéed Luffa Gourd

Servings of 2  

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Luffa gourd (I am using Smooth Luffa here.)

3-4 small pieces of sliced ginger 

8 pieces of dried shrimps or 1 tbsp of dried flaky shrimps (optional)

15mL (1 tbsp) vegetable oil (I am using canola oil)

5g (1 tsp) salt

Equipment 

Cutting board and knife

Peeler

Spoon

Frying pan and spatula

Steps

Mise en Place.

1. Wash the Luffa gourd clean, peel the skin.

2. Cut off both ends of the Luffa Gourd. Then use the method of “Roll & Cut” (see Cooking Tips) to cut into angled chunks, about 1.5” long. 

3. Peel off the skin of a knob of ginger and cut to slices.

4. Heat up a dried wok or frying pan on medium to high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in vegetable oil. I put my palm 1” above the bottom to test out the hotness of the pan. Swirl the pan to spread oil evenly over the bottom, then change to low-medium heat. 

5. Add ginger and dried shrimps (optional). Low heat will gradually force out the flavour of ingredients (about 2 minutes). If dried flaky shrimps are used, add them at a later time instead, together with salt.

6. When you can smell the fragrance of ginger, add Luffa gourd chunks. Turn up the heat to high, stir with a spatula to cover each chunk with oil. Keep stirring for about 1 minute. Turn the heat to low or medium and cover with a lid. 

7. After 3-4 minutes, open the lid to check if any liquid starts extracting from the Luffa gourd. Add salt and mix evenly. If dried flaky shrimps are used, add now but reduce the amount of salt. The flaky shrimps are quite salty already.

8. Cover with lid again for another 2-3 minutes, more juice will come out. The dish is ready when the chunks become soft and the white part turns to semi-translucent. Keep the lid closed for longer if more cooking time is needed. 

To Serve

Sautéed Luffa Gourd has this lovely young green colour. Pick a nice plate to match it. Each bite is full of the unique taste of this young fruit. It is one of my child’s favourite vegetable dishes. Luffa gourds are seasonal, and best to be enjoyed in late Spring and Summer.