What you see here are flowers and fruit of a very common creeper called as Kovakkai in Tamil and Malayalam, Telakucha in Bengali, Tondikay in Kannada, Bimbika in Sansrit, Kundru in Hindi etc. Its common English name is Ivy Gourd or little gourd and scientific name is Coccinia grandis.
The fruits are used as a vegetable and it can be eaten raw also which has a nice taste when it is tender. You can also make pickles, Indian curries like Sambar, as an ingredient in Aviyal – a curry having a mixture of many vegetables prepared in a gravy of curd. And if you want to have it as crispy snacks, just cut them into small rings and fry it in oil with salt if you want.
The fruit is commonly eaten in Indian cuisine. Natives of Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries also consume the fruit and leaves. Cultivation of ivy gourd in home gardens has been encouraged in Thailand due to its being a good source of several micro-nutrients, including vitamins A and C.
In India, ivy gourd is often recommended to diabetics due to its low glycemic index and its possible ability to help regulate blood glucose. Ivy gourd is rich in beta-carotene and it also is a good laxative.
In Hawaii and the southern United States, among other regions, ivy gourd is considered an invasive plant. There is a variety of this plant which is utterly bitter and which is invasive in India too.
So still need more info? Go and get your Vitamins at home itself. Grab a cutting of the plant from somewhere and plant it today itself. Or you can also raise seedlings from a ripe fruit of the plant. But before that make sure you are planting the non-bitter variety of the plant.
Telakucha - I remember my mom mentioning that!
ReplyDeleteWish I could have a garden, in flats such luxuries are impossible.
Now it is possible to have a garden on your terrace also. Get some pots, and make your own compost from the kitchen waste (for help in Bangalore see http://www.dailydump.org) and start your own garden. Of course, if you have a terrace above you ...
ReplyDeleteThe plant is similar to ivy we have here in Poland, but it has diffeent flowers and I think its fruit are poisonous.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo!
There is no terrace too. :(
ReplyDeleteBalconies, yes. :)
I try to do my little bit there.
Very informative post. Yes, i have seen diabetic people using it.
ReplyDeletehow long does it take for an ivy gourd to flower
ReplyDeleteHi Sir, i have this creeper in my balcony.. its growing well but i have seen a white spots on the leaves.. wht is the best medicine to use to make the plant to be more healthier..I dont want to us any harmful pesticides..plz help
ReplyDeleteMay be you can remove those leaves where the white spots are there. No need to use any pesticides for the time being. May be you can try washing it out using a hose pipe. They are possibly powdery mildew. Organic control measures are solution of baking soda or Neem oil which can be sprayed on the infected leaves. But still it is better to remove and destroy the infected leaves to prevent spreading of this.
ReplyDeleteHow can we recognize the non-bitter varieties and bitter varieties?
ReplyDeletevery tasty vegetable...you can slice them, dip them in corn flour and fry...can make tasty chutneys as well...
ReplyDelete