Are Chayote leaves edible?
What are Chayote Leaves?
Chayote leaves, scientific name Sechium edule, belong to the cucurbit family along with pumpkin, cucumber, and melon. The leaves are small to medium in size and thin, wide, and heart-shaped. The bright green leaves have a sandpaper-like texture and have pointed lobes with tiny thin tendrils attached near or to the base of the stem. On perennial climbing plants, the stems can be up to ten meters long. This plant can also be scattered on large areas of the ground and use its leaves and tendrils to protect its fruits. This edible plant along with its stem roots and leaves contains a good amount of vitamin C and is also rich in fiber and folate. These leaves are available year-round.
How to cook or prepare chayote leaves?
Chayote leaves can be prepared or cooked in different ways it depends on how we prepare them. Mainly in the Himalayan region, we the local people prepare it as a side dish. Sometimes we prepare the whole chayote leaves by washing them properly and putting them in a deep container adding some water, ginger, and a little bit of chili paste and salt as per the taste without using any kind of cooking oil and left it to boil as the leaves and stem becomes tender and juicy and the soup tastes good. This way of cooking the Chayote leaves is not only tasty to eat but it is healthy and beneficial for the people who are suffering from high blood pressure and diabetics as it is only simply boiled without using any kind of oil. But if we like to make it a little different way we can stir fry it by adding mixing it with other vegetables or also along with white meat (chicken).