Growing Tindora - Indian Vegetable

Growing Kovai Kai  / Tindora / Ivy Gourd - Indian Vegetable

This is the close up picture of Tindora (common name in India) It belongs to Cucurbitaceous family and its botanical name is Coccinnea grandis. It grows as a vine. It is also known as Ivy Gourd.

It can be grown from seeds or shoots. Growing from seeds will be a lengthy process and might take a couple of years to mature. When propagated from shoots you will get a bountiful crop the same year.
A friend gave me a seedling last year. We had a good yield from it. Since the vegetable itself is small, it is easy to miss them in the thick foliage of the vines. My daughter says they are playing hide and seek with us. Harvesting these little gourds is fun.

At the end of the season and before the first frost we cut the thick stem into several 4 inch pieces. We placed some in a cup of water and some in the soil (in pots) and kept them indoors.

Guess I must have a green thumb. Wow all of them shot up. I have one that already has a fruit on it! I had to provide support with stakes as the vines grew and climbed over my blinds. I can’t wait to plant them outside and let them grow wild.

Need a Tindora plant ? Post a comment on this blog get yours free!

I have 4 plants to give away on a first come first served basis.

Soon I will discuss how to cook this vegetable.

I saw a vedio of the all facts about Tindora.

I enjoyed this vedio hope you will too!

Mango Pickle – A South Indian specialty

Ingredients
1. 2 fresh green (sour) hard mangoes
2. 6 tsp red pepper powder
3. 3 tsp salt
4. 1 tsp mustard seeds
5. ½ tsp Asafotida
6. 3 Tsp cooking oil
Directions
Cut the mangoes into small even pieces; try to keep the green skin intact on most pieces.

Add salt and red pepper powder, mix it well, taste it and add more salt or red pepper powder if you need. For best results, pick mangoes that are very sour. But if the mango is very sour, then you’ll need more salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a sauce pan, put the mustard seeds in it. As soon as the mustard seed begin to pop, take it off the heat, add Asafotida and pour the hot mixture on the prepared mangoes and mix thoroughly.

Allow the pickle to season for a day, place it in an air tight bottle and keep refrigerated. Will be good for 15 days.
Goes well with rice, dosa (Indian pancakes) and tortilla.