General description
Coccinia grandis, the ivy gourd, also known as scarlet gourd, tindora, and kowai fruit, is a tropical vine. It grows primarily in tropical climates and is commonly found in the southern Indian state of Kerala, where it forms a part of the local cuisine. Coccinia grandis is cooked as a vegetable.
In Southeast Asia, it is grown for its edible young shoots and edible fruits.
How can I eat them
The fruit of the ivy gourd can be used in soup and curries. The unripe fruit can be used raw or stewed with other vegetables and tender leaves / shoots are eaten blanched, boiled or stir fried, or in soup.
To remove the bitterness from the fruit, slice thinly and sprinkle with salt, leave for 2 hours and rinse well.
When can I pick it
The ivy gourd comes to harvesting 3 months after planting. Hand picking or sickle is used to harvest the vegetable. Hand picking may damage the vine, so it may be better to use a small cutter.
Benefits
In traditional medicine, fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis, and jaundice. The fruit possesses mast cell-stabilizing, antianaphylactic, and antihistaminic potential. In Bangladesh, the roots are used to treat osteoarthritis and joint pain. A paste made of leaves is applied to the skin to treat scabies
Pictures of the garden
