Squash - from India
 

My neighbors (originally from India) have a garden and told me that whatever grows on my side (of our fence) is mine to keep. They grow some awesome squash! I just don't know how to cook "mine." It is 23" long and 18" diameter. It's a light or faint yellow color. I looked for photos online and recipes. Does the squash kinda, maybe sound familiar to anyone?

It's hard for me to catch my neighbors at home since they also work.

I took a photo of the squash late today and can post it if it might help anyone ID the squash type :). The thing is huge!

They told me how to cook the squash from last year, but this is a different type. (It scared my dog when she spotted it. It was hanging from the fence and wasn't there when we left for vacation a week ago. She came home, was sunning herself and looked up and saw it. I wish I had had my camera for that moment.)

Bobbi, are you sure it's not a pumpkin? :D

Actually, if it's a "winter" squash (hard shell) I would imagine that all of them get cooked about the same: Remove the "flesh" from the shell, and boil like you would a potato, unless it's small enough to just halve and bake in the oven. A notable exception is the "Spaghetti" squash, which has its own recipe.

Good luck!
I like my squash with a little bit of salt and lots of butter... :)

Much love and

PB/Gene,

Here's a photo of the squash, and the camera doesn't do it justice (I assure), since it's massive and is more yellow than the camera captured with natural lighting in shade. It's not a pumpkin, but a huge squash. The neighbors told me a few years ago (when they moved in) that their planting seeds are from India. The last time I cooked squash they grew, it was round and they told me that it's boiled or sauteed (sp?) for only a few moments or it turns mushy; it was more the pumpkin-shape than is this one:

... P.S.: A week ago, that squash was not even there! I came home to it. And it did scare my doggie. She saw it and looked at it as she had the first time she noticed a ceiling fan with its blades spinning - which was funny to me but sad to see her response since she whimpered.

... P.S. to the previous P.S.: I think I may have just found its name: Bhim. The description I read said it's light greenish. Maybe... it's been a few hours since I cut it and hid it from the doggie so she would stop feeling so frightened of it :).

Bobbi, that thing looks like the love-child of a crookneck squash and a jalapeño... :D

If it has a soft skin, I'd just handle it like a zucchini... otherwise, like any winter squash.

From their comments about it getting mushy, it sort of sounds similar to an eggplant.... a former colleague of mine was married to a vegetarian woman from India, and they ate eggplant quite frequently.

Eat up, and report back! :)


Much love and

From what I'm reading of it, it seems it's in the gourd "family."

The Jaya is the one that is the "mushy" if cooked too long, from what I'm now learning (online :)) and it is like the Eggplant. Sooo, you're right about that!

The Bhim has a shell or exterior that feels firm like zucchini. I think I will take your idea and cook it similarly - if I can't find any recipes :).

Stuffed Squash/Zucchini
 

Hi Bobbi.......
Oh My.....yummy!!! When I can get a squash that big, I stuff it! I use a meatloaf mixture. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out enough to leave approx 1/2" rim. Take the scooped out squash and add it to your meatloaf mixture. Fill them, top with bacon, cheese, or whatever you wish. Bake in oven just as you would a regular meatloaf. Drain fat off every once in awhile. I buy the hamburger with the lowest amt of fat, then it's not necessary.

That is my most favorite meal. Gotta go find me a big yellow squash or zucchini. I just took some meatloaf out of my freezer that was left over from stuffing zucchinis last year. I also love meatloaf sandwiches. I don't even eat much meat, but this is a must every year.

Enjoy! Too bad the tomatoes are crawling over the fence!:D

That is some Amazing squash!!!!

You should draw those Roswell Alien eyes on it... :rolleyes:

No. Just kidding. :)

I have a pretty huge zucchinni in my garden right now, practically so big it defies being picked...

I love to put olive oil in a pan, add chicken, wait for it to brown, then add the squash and a lot of black pepper....

Oops, mouth watering here....

Thank you the info. on how to cook it, Shotspine :). I've never made stuffed zucchini, so I'll try that first - using your pointers.

Tomatoes? Don't need those. I grew my own :).

ConsiderThis, I hadn't cooked zucchini in olive oil until last night. I posted the recipe I used here:

http://forums.braintalk2.org/showpos...0&postcount=19

The next zucchini I make, I'll try doing it as you've done :cool:.

I might draw the eyes on the gourd before I cut it, too, and take another photo of it :D.


Nearly forgot... before posting about what I initially believed was a squash, I tried searching google.com using: "squash" and "India" and mainly found sites about the sport. But, when I entered "squash" and "from India," I found pages about the veggie and about gourds. As soon as I saw the photos, I knew it's a gourd (and one that will soon have eyes for a while. LOL).

lol

while I would JUST LOVE to see the squash with Alien Eyes...
I'm not sure it would be good ... what if it seeped toxins in....

but, I would Love to see it!!!!!!!!!!