TINDORA OR IVY GOURD recipe: 59 Photos
Ivy Gourd (Tindora/ Kovakka/ Tendli) Stir Fry photos
FAQ
Ivy gourd or Tindora is a popular vegetable in India. It grows in the tropical climate, and infact it has a lot of medicinal properties and you can refer to the Wikipedia link here, to get more information on the medicinal properties. This was one of the popular vegetables that our whole family was fond of.
Tindora is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B, and beta-carotene. It is also known for its toxin eliminating properties and can help clean the bloodstream.
Ivy gourd, also known as tindora or kundru in some regions, is a tropical vine belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, just like cucumber. It produces small, green, oblong-shaped fruits that have a mild, slightly bitter taste.
I like to think of Tindora as a miniature cucumber. You can eat it raw and tastes somewhat like cucumber, crunchy and juicy inside, with tiny seeds. While cucumber is mostly eaten raw, in salads or chutneys, tindora is cooked. You don't find tindora in regular US grocery stores.
Fittingly, it's often described as a tiny gourd or squash, measuring only 1 ½ – 2 inches long with variegated green stripes. Most are picked in this immature state to serve as a savory vegetable with a mild, slightly bitter flavor, but if left to ripen on the vines, tindora can turn red, soft, and become quite sweet.