| Name |
Ivy Gourd |
| Scientific Name |
Coccinia grandis |
| Native |
Ivy gourd occurs wild in northern and eastern Africa, Arabia to tropical south and southeast Asia. |
| Common/English Name |
Ivy Gourd,Tindora, Kowai fruit, Scarlet-Fruited Gourd,tonde Kai,gentleman’s toes, Scarlet Gourd, gherkin, Kovakka, Small Gourd, baby watermelon, little gourd, Cephalandra indica, and Coccinia indica |
| Name in Other Languages |
- Bengali: Telakucha
- Chinese: Hong gua (红瓜)
- Danish: Skariagenagurk.
- English: Ivy gourd, little gourd, Scarlet gourd, Scarlet-fruited gourd, Kowai fruit, Pain-cure, Tindora, Wall-rue
- French: Gourde écarlate de l’Inde.
- German: Tindola, Scharlachranke
- Hindi: Bimb, Bimba, Kanduri, Kanturi, Kundree, Kundru (कुन्द्रू) Kunduru, tindora, tindori
- Japanese: Yasai karasu uri.
- Kannada: Kaagethonde , Konde ball , Theekkuduru, Thonde balli, Thundike, Tondikay
- Malay: Pepasan, Papasan (Indonesia), Bolu teke (Java).
- Malayalam: Kova, Koval.
- Marshallese: Kiuri awia
- Marathi: Tondili, Toṇḍalī (तॊंडली) Tondli
- Micronesia: Aipikohrd (Pohnpei)
- Nepalese: Akhu pami, Gol kankri, Kundaruu (Kundaru), Van kirii (Van kiri).
- Oriya: Kunduri, Ban-kundri
- Peninsular Malaysia: Pepasan
- Pohnpeian: Aipikohrd
- Sanskrit: Bimbi, Bimbika (as C. indica), Jivaka, Patuparni, Vimba, Vira.
- Spanish: Pepino cimarrón
- Swedish: Scharlakansgurka
- Tamil: Covay, Kotturukanni, Kovai, Kovaikkay, Naripputu, Rattakkovai, Tirattikkovai, Vattakkovai, Velikkovai, Vimpa, Vimpakam, Vimpi, Vimpikai, Kovai(கோவை)
- Telegu: Kaki donda, Donda Kaya
- Thai: Tảlụng (ตำลึง) Tam lueng, P̄hạk tảlụng (ผักตำลึง) Phak tam lueng.
- Tongan: Kiukamapa ‘ae ‘initia
- Urdu: Kanduri, kundur
- Vietnamese: Bát.
|
| Description |
Ivy Gourd scientifically known as Coccinia grandis is actually a smooth ,ovoid to ellipsoid berry which is green with longitudinal stripes when young turning bright red when ripe. It has distinctive taste and is also full of important nutrient, viotamin and minerals. |
| Plant Growth Habit |
Dioecious perennial climbing or trailing herbaceous vine |
| Growing Climate |
Favors a sun-drenched protected place along with a sandy soil |
| Plant Size |
3 m (9ft 10in). |
| Root |
Tuberous root system. |
| Stem |
Stems green, ribbed when young, glabrous, with simple, axillary tendrils. |
| Leaf |
Stems green, ribbed when young, glabrous, with simple, axillary tendrils. |
| Flowering Season |
Aug to September |
| Flower |
Flower is large and white and star-shaped about 4 cm in diameter and contains five long tubular petals. |
| Fruit shape & size |
Smooth ,ovoid to ellipsoid berry, 60 mm long by 15-35 mm in diameter |
| Fruit color |
Green with longitudinal stripes when young turning bright red when ripe |
| Flesh Color |
White flesh |
| Fruit Peel |
Hairless with thick and sticky skin |
| Seed |
Several pale, flattened seeds 7 mm long. |
| Major Nutrition |
Iron, Fe 1.4 mg (17.50%)
Vitamin B2 0.08 mg (6.15%)
Vitamin B1 0.07 mg (5.83%)
Total dietary Fiber 1.6 g (4.21%)
Calcium, Ca 40 mg (4.00%)
Protein 1.2 g (2.40%)
Carbohydrate 3.1 g (2.38%)
Vitamin C 1.4 mg(1.56%)
Potassium, K 30 mg (0.64%)
Vitamin B3 0.07 mg (0.44%) |
| Health Benefits |
- Prevents Kidney Stones
- Fatigue
- Protects the Nervous System
- Maintains a Healthy Metabolism
- Fiber keeps the digestive tract healthy
|
| Calories in 1cup (100gm) |
18 |
| Traditional Uses |
- From ancient times ivy gourd is used as anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant,wound healing, bronchial inflammation, antiulcer, coughs, purgative, respiratory mucosae, antiemetic, astringent poultice and treatment of diabetes mellitus, gout and skin diseases, asthma and antipyretic.
- To reduce high blood pressure and to treat abscesses, fruits, stems and leaves are used.
- Leaves when mixed with gingelly oil (sesame oil) is used to treat ring worm, psoriasis and itch, when mixed with ghee to cure sore, skin diseases, cutaneous eruptions of small pox.
- Leaves are used for treating bronchitis, burns, skin eruptions, syphilis and gonorrhea, jaundice and rheumatism.
- Juice of the leaves, stem and roots serve as a cure for intermittent glycosuria, diabetes, sore-tongues, intermittent glycosuria, enlarged glands earaches, and skin diseases like pityriasis and also treats urinary tract infection, other related troubles.
- Dried root bark has cathartic properties.
- To alleviate pain in joints, skin lesions, apthous ulcers and diabetes, root tubers are used.
- Green fruit are chewed to cure sores on tongue and the dried fruit are used to remove eczema.
- Coccinia powder is used for treating liver weakness, vomiting and worm infestation, gastro – intestinal disturbances, purifies blood, dysentery, curbs infection in the body, effective against long-lasting cough and cold and provides good results for bronchitis and asthma.
- Stem infusion is given for vertigo, the roots used for high fever, the leaves for skin complaints in Moluccas.
- Roots are used to treat intestinal ailments in Niger.
- Fresh or dried roots are crushed, boiled and used for stabbing pain and kidney infections in Ethiopia.
- Fresh cotton wad dab in a boiled preparation of crushed, fresh or dried leaves is used to treat snake poison in the eyes in Somalia.
|
| Precautions: |
- In case you have diabetes, reduce blood sugar levels, prevent ingesting tondli gourds, leaves or even extracts.
- We must not consume tondli for about a couple weeks just before scheduled surgery, because of its effect on blood sugar.
- In case you have an allergic reaction to many other members of the Curcurbitaceae family of vegetables, prevent tondli and talk to your physician instantly in case you develop indications of a hypersensitive reaction, like an allergy, inflammation or even difficulty breathing.
|
| How to Eat |
- Soup: Young Fruits, terminal leafy shoots and leaves are consumed fried, blanched, fried or even boiled with Soups, noodles and rice.
- Koloban: Leaves and terminal shoots are used in Koloban for rice table as well as in Sayur and Sambelan in Indonesia.
- Stir-fries: Young leafy terminal tips are blanched for dipping in chilli paste or used in stir-fries.
- Ivy gourd and minced pork soup: It can be mixed with soup dishes like ivy gourd and minced pork soup, porcine blood curd soup, or mixed vegetable soup and noodles.
- Porridge: For young children, young leaves are boiled and mashed and is included in Porridge.
- Curries: Young Fruits are fermented and used in Soups and curries with rice and fries in Thailand.
- Pickled: Young green fruit are pickled and also can be consumed by dipping in chili paste.
- Comfited: Ripe fruit can be consumed raw or comfited.
- Curry: It can be consumed as a curry, by deep-frying it; stuffing it with masala and sautéing it.
- Sambaar: It may also be used in sambaar, a vegetable- and lentil based soup.
- Stew: Red fruit are eaten raw, or they are peeled and cut into pieces and prepared as a stew with onions and tomatoes and other vegetables in East Africa.
- Soups and curries: In Ethiopia and India Immature green fruits are prepared in soups and curries.
- Vegetable: Leaves are also eaten as a vegetable by Mursi tribe in Ethiopia.
- The seeds are chewed in Kenya and Ethiopia.
|
| Other Facts |
Ivy gourd is often grown as a fence or hedge. |
